Australia Elizabeth II Perth Mint 1955 Halfpenny & Penny Proof Pair FDC

Mintage just 301!

An extremely rare opportunity, we are proud to present the first, lowest mintage, most sought after issue in the entire Australian 1955-63 Collector Proof Coin Program – in immaculate, ‘as struck’, FDC quality!

Catering for a collector market in its infancy, the mintage of the Perth Mint’s first issue in the 1955-63 Collector Proof Coin Program was just 301. That first issue comprised the 1955 Penny Proof and 1955 Halfpenny Proof. Although the mintage of 301 makes the 1955 Proof Pair the lowest mintage issue of the series, the rarity of these flawless copper Proofs is much more extreme than the number actually struck.

Even if all 301 of the Proof Pairs struck in 1955 still existed, this presentation would still be, obviously, extremely rare. The reality is, however, that perhaps as few as one hundred of those pairs would still be rated as in original FDC condition. Given this extreme rarity, it’s no surprise to find that the 1955 Proof Pair is seldom seen on the market in the spellbinding state of preservation seen here.

Prestigious and pristine, the 1955 Proof Halfpenny & Penny Pair represents an outstanding opportunity for the serious collector. With just one pair available, immediate action is essential.

The Heritage of Australia’s Proof Currency

In the modern age, collectors are used to the Royal Australian Mint issuing Proof examples of Australia’s traditional circulating coinage in significant numbers. Every year, thousands of people have the chance to enjoy our beloved, iconic coins, struck to the highest possible quality. This wasn’t always the case…

Traditionally, mints both in Australia and elsewhere around the world struck Proof coinage for very specific reasons – and catering for the broader collector market wasn’t one of those reasons. Proof examples of coins were struck for government institutions, for archival purposes, for institutions such as museums, and to distribute to other mints. As a result, these coins were struck in the tiniest of numbers, with mintages of less than 10 pieces a regular occurrence. As the global collector market began to grow, however, so did pressure to strike Proof coinage in more substantial numbers.

In Australia, there were a few Proof issues for collectors in the pre-WWII era – the 1927 Canberra Florin Proof, for example – but the number struck was still minuscule. In the 1950s, however, Treasury bowed to collector and dealer pressure and sanctioned the striking of Proof coins as part of an ongoing commercial venture. Government insisted on intervening in just one aspect – only those coins being struck by a mint for circulation could be issued as Proofs.

For the Perth Mint, tasked only with producing Australian copper coins, this meant the striking of penny and halfpenny Proofs only. From the launch of the Collector Proof Coin Program in 1955 until its conclusion in 1963, just prior to the changeover to decimal currency, the Perth Mint attained a level of excellence with its Proof coinage that was the equal of any mint in the world.

Magnificent to behold, the coins are glorious. Underpinned by a rich array of orange hues, and notable for the impeccably smooth background fields and highly detailed designs, Perth Mint Proofs rank as some of the finest coins ever produced in Australia. Struck in the tiniest numbers, and with many lost or mishandled in the many decades since issue, Perth Mint Predecimal Proofs also rank among the rarest.

The nation’s very first annual Proof coin series, the Collector Proof Coin Program, forms one of the most important elements of Australia’s currency heritage. This is your chance to be a part of it.