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1 Penny - George V Kookaburra Pattern - Type 8
| Issuer | Royal Mint (London) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#Pn15 |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | GEORGIVS V D.G.BRITT:OMN:REX 1920 (Translation: George V by the Grace of God, King of all the British territories) |
| Reverse description | A kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), the iconic Australian kingfisher, is depicted in left-facing profile, perched and rendered in bold relief against a plain field, designed by George Kruger Gray. The bird's distinctive large beak, compact body, and tail are clearly articulated. The legend AUSTRALIA arcs across the upper field, following the curve of the inner border. The denomination ONE PENNY is inscribed in two lines in the lower right portion of the field, in bold block lettering. The entire design is contained within a raised inner border that mirrors the square-with-rounded-corners shape of the planchet. |
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| Additional information |
In 1919–1920, the Royal Mint in London produced a series of pattern pennies for Australia exploring a shift from bronze to copper-nickel, partly in response to wartime metal shortages and partly to test a smaller, lighter coin format than the existing Australian penny. At least eight distinct pattern types were struck, each varying in design, composition, or dimensional specification. This piece, the eighth catalogued type, features the kookaburra — a motif seriously considered for Australian coinage before the kangaroo and other fauna designs were ultimately passed over.
Australia never adopted copper-nickel for the penny. The bronze penny survived until decimal conversion in 1966.