1930 Penny - PCGS VF35

Australia, 1930 Penny -

There are coins even a non-collector might seek to obtain. He might remember it from his childhood as being special, or she might have read about it in the papers one time, and while they don’t know much about the coin, they know it’s rare. The 1930 penny is one such coin. Coveted since the 1940s when it became clear that they were hard to find in change, and pursued manically during the coin craze in the 1960s, when decimalisation meant an end to scoring one in circulation for face value, the 1930 penny is indisputably the king of pre-decimal coins. The coin photographed above has a long pedigree going back to the 1970s, where Athol Tiver purchased the coin from Laurie Nugent. Both Athol Tiver and Laurie Nugent are known in the hobby, the former as a prestigious collector of coin and banknote rarities, and the latter as a numismatic dealer in Adelaide. Coin dealer Kevin Ayres acquired the coin in 1986, and had it authenticated by the Royal Australian Mint, where it was deemed genuine. (This authenticity certificate accompanies the coin.) Kevin sold the coin for $5,550 later that year, and the coin subsequently remained in the collection of a north west Sydney collector for over thirty years. The coin now resides in a PCGS holder, certified VF35, and is one of the nicer 1930 pennies I’ve handled over the years, with six clear pearls, half a centre diamond, and melted chocolate fields. If you’ve ever wanted a problem-free 1930 with great eye appeal, this is your coin.