The Kangaroo design continued into this type right until the introduction of
Decimal currency
Currency based on units of a multiple of 10
decimal currency with the conclusion of the penny series in 1964. This type features a slightly reworded
Obverse
The heads side of the coin
obverse Legend
The inscription around the inner edge of the coin
legend, 'ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F:D', ('Elizabeth II, by the grace of god, queen, defender of the faith'), after public outcry that the previous type omitted 'FIDEI DEF' ('defender of the faith').
All dates in the series are easy to acquire in
Mint state
A state of a coin that shows no signs of circulation
mint state though the 1959 plain from the Melbourne
Mint
a facility that produces coins
mint is quite scarce. Finding any date beyond MS64 is a challenge though they do turn up from time to time.
The series was struck by both the Melbourne and Perth
Mint
a facility that produces coins
mints with the Perth minted pennies featuring a dot after the 'Y' of 'PENNY'.
