1 Penny - George V Trial Strike

Australia administered New Guinea under a League of Nations mandate from 1920, and the Territory required its own coinage distinct from Australian issue. The 1929 penny series was produced in both bronze and this nickel composition, with the nickel strikes serving as pattern or trial pieces to evaluate the alloy before committing to production. Bronze ultimately won out — KM#2 in bronze became the circulating type, leaving the nickel trials as low-mintage survivors outside normal commerce.