1942S-44S Shilling 3-Coin Set Extremely Fine-about Uncirculated

Aussie silver – struck in the USA!

Struck at the San Francisco Mint as the USA assisted Australian coin production during the Second World War, the 1942S-44S Shilling 3-Coin Set is a unique piece of Australia’s history.

Huge demand for currency in WWII…

The increased demand for currency in Australia during WWII was largely attributable to the post-Depression recovery. It was also due to the influx into Australia of big spending American servicemen, as well as silver hoarding caused by the uncertainty of wartime. Even with the Melbourne Mint assisted by the Perth Mint, which had been brought out of ‘retirement’, Australia could not strike enough coins to meet demand.

Complete 3-coin set!

The USA was therefore asked to step up to the plate, and the Aussie silver coinage struck in America forms one of the most fascinating chapters of the Australian predecimal story. That coinage included three shilling dates – 1942, 1943 & 1944. Struck at the San Francisco Mint, and distinguished by an S mintmark immediately below the iconic Ram’s Head motif on the reverse, each of those dates is found in this 3-coin set!

Just a few sets available!

Offered in Extremely Fine to about Uncirculated condition, we have only a small number of complete 3-coin sets in stock. Click add to cart now!

Australia and the USA – a bond forged in the crucible of war…

“Without any inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom”

John Curtin, Australian Prime Minister,

                                        Herald, 27/12/1941

Australia’s very public call to the USA for a joint effort in the Pacific theatre of war marked a turning point in Australia’s political, social and economic history. From this point on, the USA was to become Australia’s strongest partner; as the British Empire dissolved, the world’s nations sought to focus upon a new power base.

Successful Japanese operations to Australia’s north provided the immediate context in which America’s aid was sought. However, the ways in which the bond was cemented varied widely. Australia had coinage minted overseas during wartime before, in India, during the Great War. In the second global conflict of the 20th century, Australia sought American assistance.

Why was this so? The surge in mintage figures in Australia during the war years indicates that the demand for circulating currency was high. Indeed, the fact that Australia sought American aid to strike even more silver coinage indicates that this demand outstripped our capacity for production.

The answer lies partly in the economic recovery the war provided to Australia as it climbed back from the Great Depression. The increase in commerce and employment necessitated a greater amount of currency. The huge influx of heavy spending American servicemen also required a gigantic infusion of money into the economy. We may also speculate that the fear of invasion caused a great deal of silver hoarding, with precious metal providing security against the threat of the unknown in a post war Australia. The demand for coinage was far greater than Australian mints could handle, and the US stepped up to the plate.

Of the greatest historical significance, the Australian silver coins struck at the USA’s Denver and San Francisco Mints during the Second World War deserve a prime place in any Australian collection.