First Pre-decimal find - 1954 Australian sixpence.

[Nuggatory]

OBOYOBOYOBOYOBOY!!

I found my first pre-decimal coin a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't been able to stop smiling since.

I thought it was a 5c piece, as it sounded like one, and is the same size. I took it home along with another 5c & 20c piece and a few bits of garbage and started cleaning it up (I can feel the serious coin peple cringing already). I really should have known it was something different, as the corrosion was completely different to a 5c piece, but...... well, I wasn't thinking

Anyhoo, I threw some water on it and found that when I held it to the light at a certain angle, I could just make out some faint markings. Still thinking it was just a 5c piece, I applied a toothbrush to remove some of the corrosion & grit. Only now could I see that it wasn't 5c.

A little more gentle cleaning, and this is what I came up with:

[attachment 144314 640-size-003.jpg] [attachment 144313 640-size-005.jpg]

The obverse is on the left, reverse on the right.

Sorry, I haven't included a scale in the pics, but it's diameter is 19mm (3/4") which is 1/2 mm smaller than a 5c piece (19.44mm) , but a little thinner. It's composition is 50% silver. It was minted in Melbourne. This is the last year of the so called "godless" coins minted where the title F: (Fidei Defensor) was omitted from the writing on the obverse side of the coin. It was re-introduced in 1955. Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia in 1954, and toured through every state in the country.


I was using my X-70, stock 9" concentric coil, sensitivity 15, GB tracking on. Found it at a beach in Sydney called Little Congwong Beach, right up at the interface of beach sand and rocks.

All in all, I'm very happy about this find, and it just feeds the hunger to do more

Good hunting, people.

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Who cares what some serious old coin hunters might think. Actually; most of them will be reading your post and remember their first old coin find! It's been quite a while since I've recovered a sixpence. At least 18 months. Found a Three pence a few weeks back. They hit like a 50c piece. Pennies generally hit around 38 to 42 and full silvers tend to hit on 46.
If you want to clean the coin up. One of the club members here (Aussie MXT) told me to put silver coins into a lemon over night. I tried it and once I pulled it out and rubbed it down with a cloth and rinsing the lemon juice off, it came up almost spotless, retaining it's genuine sheen.
Congratulations.
Mick Evans.

 

[lozz38]

Good on ya Nuggatory, funny how after all those years sitting on the beach and the little sixpence is still within detecter range. The XT70 can surprise me sometimes with it's ability to sniff out pre decimals in places where there should be only modern coins. I have not tried lemon juice as Mick suggests, but I use a cleaning product called CLR from the supermarket. Soak the coins in straight CLR for 20 minutes, give them a good rinse and a rub between your fingers and they should come up like new. $1 and $2 dollar coins will look like they have come straight from the bank. Always separate silver and copper coins when using CLR or they will all come out black.
Keep up the good work,
Laurie.

 

[Beale]

Congrats on tha very nice find! I eally like seeing old coins! Good hunting, Beale.

 

[Nuggatory]

Thanks very much for the encouraging feedback, Mick, Laurie & Beale..

Mick, your comment on the threepence you found got me wondering whether it was pre or post war? Only reason being, as you probably know, the pre and mid war silver Australian coins were 92.5% silver and then post war dropped back to 50% silver. If its a post war threepence and it hits like a 50c piece, I can't wait to find my first pre-war threepence. (or any pre-decimal, for that matter)

Unfortunately, I don't have any lemons handy, so I am trying the CLR that Laurie mentioned, but will buy some more lemons now, for the hoards that will be rolling in soon

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

It was a post war Three pence. I'm with you. I've pulled up a small handful of silver, but I'm not sure that I've found a full silver one as yet, So I'll be delighted when I pull up my first full silver too.
Mick Evans.