Canberra, 12 April 1973
I attach for your information copy of what I think you will find to be a self-explanatory minute I have sent to the Prime Minister on the subject of wording used on Australian coins.
The Prime Minister did not mention to me the particular reason for his interest in the subject. He did, however, refer to his forthcoming visit to London and asked that the information be supplied to him today. I deduce that while in London he may be raising the subject of changes in the wording used on Australian coins.
I have of course also sent the Treasurer a copy of my minute to the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister
Words Used on Australian Coins
I refer to your telephone call to me this morning in which you asked to be provided today with detailed information about the wording which has been used by the Commonwealth over the years on Australian coins.
2. The information given hereunder and in the Attachments has been provided by the Controller of the Royal Australian Mint.
3. Australia used gold and other coins of the UK as currency until an Australian coinage was designed and issued in 1910–1911. The Royal Mint London continued to make the Australian coinage and it was not until World War I when communications were interrupted that the branches of the Royal Mint in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth began striking the Australian coinage. Silver coins were first struck in 1916 and bronze coins in 1919. The branch mints acted as manufacturers for the Commonwealth and received payment for this service, the seignorage going to the Commonwealth.
4. The coinage tools were supplied by the Royal Mint London and the legend on the obverse of the coins was changed as it changed in the UK, these changes being apparently accepted by the Treasury. A change in reverse designs was made in 1938–1939 by the then Treasurer (Mr R.G. Casey). The only change in obverse design that may have been initiated by Australia was that of the Victorian Centenary Florin, where the Monarch is crowned and the legend is ‘George V King Emperor’.
5. When decimal currency was introduced in 1966 the Treasury gave approval of the designs and legend for the decimal coinage, but the effigy of the Queen was prepared in London.
6. Attachment A hereto shows the wording on the obverse (‘heads’) side of Australian coins issued since 1911. I should think that this is the wording in which you are especially interested.
7. The full text of the original Latin legend on the £ s.d. coinage was:–
‘Georgius V: Dei Gratia: Brittanniarum Omnia Rex: Fidei Defensor: India Imperateur’
‘George V, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India’.
Abbreviations used in the legend are–
| D:G | Dei Gratia |
|---|---|
| BR:OMN:REX | Brittanniarum Omnia Rex |
| BRlTT:OMN:REX | |
| F:D | |
| FIDEI:DEF | Fidei Defensor |
| IND:IMP | India lmperateur |
8. The above legend was altered according to the monarch and ‘Regina’ replaced ‘Rex’ when Queen Elizabeth II became the monarch. Also, certain lettering was deleted at times. The 1953–1954 florins were known as the ‘godless florins’ because of the deletion of the ‘F. D.’ or ‘Fidei Defensor’ during those years, and the ‘IND IMP’ or ‘India Imperateur’ was deleted when India was given independence.
9. Since the introduction of decimal coinage in 1966, the obverse legend has been simply ‘ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA’ (with the date year).
10. Attachment B shows the reverse (‘tails’) legends on Australian coins since 1911. I imagine that the reverse legends are not of the same interest to you as the obverse legends.
11. It should also perhaps be mentioned that gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns continued to be produced in Australia until 1931. These coins were of the same design and bore the same legends as the UK coins, and were regarded as UK (or British Empire) currency. The only identification on the coins was a small letter ‘S’, ‘M’ or ‘P’ on the reverse above the date denoting that the coin was struck in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth.
12. I trust that this information satisfies your requirements. If there is any additional information you may want, please let me know.
ATTACHMENT AALL DENOMINATIONS| OBVERSE LEGENDS
—|—
1911–1936| GEORGIVS V D.G.BRITT:OMN:REX F.D. IND: IMP
(George V, By the Grace of God, King of all the Britons; Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India).
1937–1948| GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP
(George VI, By the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India).
1949–1952| GEORGIVS VI D.G. BRITT:OMN:REX:FIDEI DEF
(George VI, By the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith).
1953–1954| ELIZABETH.II.DEI.GRATIA.REGINA
(Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen).
1955–1964| ELIZABETH.II.DEI.GRATIA.REGINA.F.D.
(Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith).
1966– (Decimals)| ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA (Date)
Commemorative Florins|
GEORGE V 1927
CANBERRA| GEORGIVS V D.G. BRITT:OMN:REX F.D. IND:IMP
(George V, By the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India).
GEORGE V 1935
VICTORIAN CENTENARY| GEORGE V KING EMPEROR
ELIZABETH II 1954
ROYAL VISIT| ELIZABETH.II.DEI.GRATIA.REGINA.F:D:
(Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith).
GEORGE VI l951
COMMONWEALTH
JUBLIEE| GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX FIDEI DEF.
(George VI, By the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith).
| ATTACHMENT BDENOMINATION | REVERSE LEGENDS |
|---|---|
| Halfpenny | |
| 1911–1939 | Commonwealth of Australia– One HalfPenny– Date |
| 1939–1964 | Australia– Half Penny– Date (Kangaroo Design) |
| Penny | |
| 1911–1936 | Commonwealth of Australia– One Penny– Date |
| 1938–1964 | Australia– Penny– Date (Kangaroo Design) |
| Threepence | |
| 1910–1936 | Threepence (Coat of Arms)– Date |
| 1938–1964 | Australia (Ears of Wheat)– Threepence– Date |
| Sixpence | |
| 1910–1964 | Sixpence (Coat of Arms)– Date |
| Shilling | |
| 1910–1936 | One Shilling (Coat of Arms)– Date |
| 1938–1964 | Australia (Ram’s Head)– Shilling– Date |
| Florin | |
| 1910–1936 | One Florin– Two Shillings (Coat of Arms)– Date |
| 1938–1964 | Florin (Coat of Arms– new)– Australia– Date |
| Crown | |
| 1937–1938 | Commonwealth of Australia (Crown)– One Crown– Date |
| Decimals | |
| 1966 – to date | (Design and denomination figure) |
| Commemorative Florins | |
| Canberra | Parliament House– Australia– One Florin– 1927 (Parliament House) |
| Victorian Centenary | Centenary Victoria– Melbourne– 1934–1935 (Man on horse) |
| Jubilee | Australia– Florin 1901–1951 (Cross sword and Mace) |
| Royal Visit | Australia– Florin –1954 (Lion and Kangaroo) |
| Commemorative 50 Cent | |
| Captain Cook | Fifty Cents (Map of Australia, Cook effigy and signature, 1770). |
( Note : Until 1936 the Coat of Arms on silver coins carried the words ‘Advance Australia’ on a scroll beneath the Arms. This was the only reference to Australia on the coin.)
1 J.H. Garrett, Deputy Secretary, Treasury.
[NAA: Al209, 1973/6292]