Australia 1969 20 cents

a typical circulated specimen, from the Mountain Groan Collection

In 1966, Australia abandoned the sterling coinage she had used since the days of Captain Cook and adopted the decimal dollar and cent. This twenty cent piece was struck 1966-84 and is still being struck today, altho with an older bust of the Queen. The platypus still lurks beneath murky waters on the reverse. Coinage production, formerly divided among the Sydney, Perth and Melbourne mints, is now concentrated at the Canberra Mint. The Perth mint manufactures and markets commemoratives.

Recorded mintage: 16,520,000.

Specification: 11.3 g, copper-nickel, 28.5 mm diameter, designed by Arnold Machin and Stuart Devlin.

Catalog reference: KM 66.

Source:

• McDonald, Greg, The Pocket Guide to Australian Coins and Banknotes, 23rd ed., Lavington, Australia, 2017.
• Pitt, Michael, Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values, 32nd Edition, Matraville, New South Wales, Australia: Renniks Publications, 2023.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.

Link to:

• 1968 20 cents
• 1969 cent
• 1978 20 cents
• 1979 5 cents
• Coins and currency dated 1969
• return to coins of Australia