The most sought-after Australian 20 Cents coin is the 1966 “Wavy Baseline”, and there are several 10 Cents coins that are highly valuable due to low mintage or striking errors.
The “Holy Grail” Australian 20 Cents Coin
The “Holy Grail” for many Australian 20-cent collectors is the 1966 “Wavy Baseline” 20c coin.
- Error/Variety: This coin is a variety of the 1966 mintage that was struck at the Royal Mint in London. The error is a distinct wave in the lower horizontal line (the baseline) of the number ‘2’ in the ’20’ on the reverse side of the coin.
- Value: In top-tier, uncirculated condition, this coin can command significant prices, with examples selling for thousands of dollars (e.g., $3,655 to $3,750 for high-grade specimens).
Top Valuable Australian 10 Cents Coins
The value of Australian 10-cent coins is typically driven by low mintage years, non-issued-for-circulation dates, and spectacular minting errors.
Here are some of the most valuable 10-cent coins to look for:
- 1997 10c Coin:
- Reason for Value: While the mintage was 5.7 million, the extremely low mintage of the 1997 Mint Set made finding this coin in Uncirculated condition very difficult.
- Uncirculated Value: Catalogues at approximately $80 in Uncirculated condition.
- 2011 10c Coin:
- Reason for Value: This is one of the lowest mintage circulating 10c coins, with only 1.7 million struck.
- Uncirculated Value: Catalogues at approximately $45 in Uncirculated condition.
- 1996 10c Coin:
- Reason for Value: This date was not issued for circulation, being released only as a collector coin.
- Uncirculated Value: Catalogues at approximately $60 in Uncirculated quality.
- 1995 10c Coin:
- Reason for Value: Similar to the 1996 date, it was not issued for circulation and was only included in collector sets.
- Uncirculated Value: Catalogues at approximately $35 in Uncirculated quality.
- 1985 10c Coin:
- Reason for Value: This year had a remarkably low mintage of only 2 million due to a drop in demand for coinage.
- Uncirculated Value: Catalogues at approximately $15 in Uncirculated quality.
- 2023 10c Coin:
- Reason for Value: Not issued for circulation; only found in 2023 collector sets following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, making it a key date for collectors.
- 10c Error Coins:
- Reason for Value: Spectacular minting errors, though rare due to strict quality control, can be extremely valuable, sometimes worth thousands of dollars. Examples include those struck on incorrect planchets (e.g., a 1981 coin struck on a Sri Lanka 50 cents planchet, valued around $600).
