Every mintage is a gross figure. These are the Royal Mint's own attempts to say how much coin was actually circulating, which is the denominator every survival question needs.
This catalogue can tell you what was struck, what was issued, and what came back and was melted. None of that tells you how much was out there at a given moment, and that is the number every question about survival needs underneath it.
The Mint insisted, repeatedly, that you cannot get there by subtraction. Melbourne, 1905, on half sovereigns:
Austialian Br'amhes of the Royal Mint have coined hall'- sovereigns 01' the value of £3; 662 ,065 111111 of these (even allowinn i100 000 For New Zealand) ,itheie probably 2110 not £400 000 111 active circulation.
£3,662,065 coined; under £400,000 thought to be circulating. The scan is rough, and the point survives it.
The Sydney branch published a State-level estimate every year from 1883 to 1895, splitting coin between private hands and the banks, and gold from silver from bronze. Then in 1896 it stopped, and said why: “I have been unable to satisfy myself that any one of the methods obtaining to this end even approach accuracy.” Eight of the thirteen years do not close their own arithmetic and are published here as located but unresolved, with the page, rather than repaired.
And once, in 1933, somebody measured it. The Deputy Master had the Commonwealth Bank hand over £1,000 parcels straight from the tills, 75,000 coins, and sorted them by date: 15,000 each of florins, shillings and sixpences, and 30,000 threepences. Of the 15,000 florins, 898 were dated 1910 or 1911 and 4,959 were dated 1925 to 1932. On that sample he put the silver still circulating at £6,500,000, against £7,533,550 ever issued, which is 86.3 per cent.
That is a survival rate, measured from coins in hand, in 1933. It is the only one in this corpus.
39 records, 1883 to 1951, from Royal Mint, Sydney Branch, Royal Mint, Sydney Branch (J. Macdonald Cameron, Deputy Master), Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (E. Stanfield Wardell, Deputy Master), Appendix XXI, dated 7th March 1906, Royal Mint, Perth Branch (J. F. Campbell, Deputy Master), Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch, Appendix H, Royal Mint, Sydney Branch (J. H. Campbell, Deputy Master), reporting an investigation by Mr. H. A. Smith, New South Wales Government Statistician, Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923, Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Deputy Master), Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Mr. McCay, Deputy Master), Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Hugh D. McCay, Deputy Master), Royal Mint, London (L. L. H. Thompson, Deputy Master and Comptroller). Every quote below was re-found in the cached report page it cites before this page was built.
| Report year | Mint | geography | covers | as at | as printed | printed unit | Source, and its own words |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1883-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
In private hand 5 - In the banks - - Total £ 2,880.705 2,091,582 .43 251,449 150,420 39 £ 20,705 3,152,919 1,003 2.8135101 - 1 5,572,317 401,875 |
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| 1884 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1884-12-31 | 6,852,617 | pounds sterling | report page null
In private hands 2,707,510 259,658 21,576 2,985,711 In the bunks - - 3,689,530 173,017 ‘ 1,317 3,863,873 6,397,049 432,67 |
| 1885 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1885-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
In private hands - - 2,023,713 23,018 3,950,081! In bunks - - - 3,882,103 185,612 2,003 1,000,810 Total - - - 6,805,816 188,363 25,7131 7,310,022 |
|
| 1886 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1886-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
In private hands .. .. .. 3,027,220 309.857 3.361.904 In Banks .. .. .. .. .. 4,230,702 200,488 4.439.742 1868 to 1876 |
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| 1887 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1887-12-31 | 8,854,976 | pounds sterling | report page null
ESTIMATE of the Amount of COIN in NEW SOUTH WALES at the close Of 1887, Where held. Gold. Silver. Bronze. In private ha 1 In Banks m 3 Total . . £ 3,398,922 £ 321,619 15 £ 3,745.980 4,916,211 190,782 5,108,996 8,315,133 512,401 8,854,976 |
| 1888 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1888-12-31 | 8,997,348 | pounds sterling | report page null
WALES at the Whore held. Gold. Silver. Bronze In private. hands In Banks Total £ 3,582,847 4,876,603 .9 327 .909 181,714 43 3,936,589 5,060,759 8,459,450 509,623 8,997,348 |
| 1889 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1889-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
In private handl .. . .. 3,523,103 324,022 20,033 3874.008 In Banks .. .. .. .. 4,004,751 103,440 , 2,820 5,161.011 |
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| 1890 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1890-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
In 01110101150111 1 3.530,"58 350,713 28,101 3,015,205 |
|
| 1891 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1891-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
In private hands In bunks .. Total Year. |
|
| 1893 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1893-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
' . . . 4,401,084 305,870 In private hands .. . . 6,100,042 206,068 In hanks . . 53 4,828,003 6.310.153 Total .. .. .. . 10,501,120 1 001,933 11,138,246 |
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| 1895 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch | New South Wales | all coin (gold, silver and bronze), split between private hands and banks | 1895-12-31 | pounds sterling | report page null
ESTIMATE 0f the Amount ‘of COIN 111 NEW SOUTH WALES at the |
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| 1896 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch (J. Macdonald Cameron, Deputy Master) | New South Wales | NO FIGURE -- the Mint says it cannot make one | 1896 | none | report page null
ascertaining the amount of coin in circulation in New South Wales, but as I have been unable to satisfy myself that any one of the methods obtaining to this end even approach accuracy, |
|
| 1905 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (E. Stanfield Wardell, Deputy Master), Appendix XXI, dated 7th March 1906 | Victoria | active circulation: notes, sovereigns, half-sovereigns and silver | quarter ending 31st December 1905 (note circulation); population as at 31st December 1903 | 1,461,956 | pounds sterling | report page null
£ , Shillings. l , Notes 835,499 "1 { 13‘82 ,1 Sovereigns 449,916 1 l 7.14 ' ',» 1,208,854 4 Halt~sovereigns 61,493 ‘ l l ‘ 1'02 l Silver 115,018 U U 1-90 |
| 1905 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (E. Stanfield Wardell, Deputy Master), Appendix XXI, dated 7th March 1906 | Commonwealth of Australia | active circulation: notes, sovereigns, half-sovereigns and silver | 1905 (from the quarter ending 31st December 1905 note circulation) | 2,052,234 | pounds sterling | report page null
Notes 3,811,019 Sovereigns 2,052,234 l’lalf—sovcrciglls ... ... 280,491 Silver 524,777 But the figures given above show that notes are -arried ill the other States of the Commonwealth and ill New Zealand in |
| 1905 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (E. Stanfield Wardell, Deputy Master), Appendix XXI, dated 7th March 1906 | Victoria and the Commonwealth of Australia | gold coin, banks plus public | 1905 | 24,925,886 | pounds sterling | report page null
Banks (a) 7,613,822 22,593,161 Public (estimate) 511,409 2,332,725 Total 8,125,231 24,925,886 ta.) Sworn Returns. In these returns “ coin ” includes all metals. |
| 1905 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (E. Stanfield Wardell, Deputy Master), Appendix XXI, dated 7th March 1906 | Commonwealth of Australia | half-sovereigns | 1905 | 400,000 | pounds sterling | report page null
Austialian Br'amhes of the Royal Mint have coined hall'- sovereigns 01‘ the value of £3; 662 ,065 111111 of these (even allowinn i100 000 For New Zealand) ,itheie probably 2110 not £400 000 111 active circulation. |
| 1906 | Royal Mint, Perth Branch (J. F. Campbell, Deputy Master) | Commonwealth of Australia | gold coin: sovereigns and half-sovereigns, active plus bank reserve | 1906 | 24,000,000 | pounds sterling | report page null
The evidence obtained appeared to indicate that the sovereigns in active Circulation in Australia were about 2500,0001. and the half- sovereigns about 500,0001. In addition to this total of 3,000,000l. actively circulating |
| 1906 | Royal Mint, Perth Branch (J. F. Campbell, Deputy Master) | Commonwealth of Australia | total active circulation: coin and notes together | 1906 | 8,151,870 | pounds sterling | report page null
Sovereigns ... ... ... 2,500,000 Half-sovereigns 500,000 Silver and Bronze Coin 1,200,000 Bank and State Notes 3,951,870 £8,151,870 This sum would provide about 22. Os. 6d. per head of the |
| 1907 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch, Appendix H | Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia | gold coin apparently retained in the State that coined it | 31st December 1907 (cumulative from 1873) | 32,955,231 | pounds sterling | report page null
Balance apparently retained } £20,351'302 in the State .. .. £8,918,699 £3,685,230 £32,955,231 Percentage of Amount Coined 18‘17 10'98 10'93 14’52 |
| 1922 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch (J. H. Campbell, Deputy Master), reporting an investigation by Mr. H. A. Smith, New South Wales Government Statistician | New South Wales | silver coin, split between the public and the banks | 1921-06-30 | 2,050,000 | pounds sterling | report page null
and he estimated that on the 30th june, 1921, the silver coin in circulation was 2,050,000]. of which 1,451,000[. was in the hands of the public, and the balance of 599,000l. held by the Banks. |
| 1922 | Royal Mint, Sydney Branch (J. H. Campbell, Deputy Master), reporting an investigation by Mr. H. A. Smith, New South Wales Government Statistician | New South Wales | British halfcrowns | 1921-06-30 | 10,000 | pounds sterling | report page null
but it is estimated that 10,000]. in British hal'fcrowns are still in circulation here. The Statistician puts the amount of silver coin in thehands 0f the public at 14x. 83d. per head of population |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Victoria | silver coin, public plus banks | 1923 | 1,142,793 | pounds sterling | report page null
the total silver coin in the hands of the public as 680,812l. To this must be added the amounts held by the banks, 461,9811, making the total silver coin held in Victoria l,142,793l., or 14-22 shillings per head. |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Victoria | currency in active circulation: notes, silver, bronze | 1923 | 680,812 | pounds sterling | report page null
These figures would give the currency in active circulation in \Ictoria as follows* :-—— £ Notes 79‘19 shillings per head. Total 6,365,237 Silver ... 8'47 ,, ,, 680,812 Bronze 1'00 ,, ,, 80,379 Total 88‘66 ,, ,, |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Victoria | British silver coin (as against Australian) | 1923 | 285,700 | pounds sterling | report page null
give a total of 285,700Z. in British silver coin in Victoria. Of this, 60 per cent. or 171,4201. may be taken as being worn to such an extent as not to be fit for reissue. |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Commonwealth of Australia | total coin other than gold: silver and bronze | 1923 | 4,044,233 | pounds sterling | report page null
If it be assumed that the same proportionate relation to the note currency holds good for the Commonwealth as a whole, the total com other than gold held in Australia would be :— 1‘ Silver . .. 4,044,233 Bronze 387,893 |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Commonwealth of Australia | silver coin, and the British share of it | 1923 | 4,500,000 | pounds sterling | report page null
Taking these two factors into consideration, the total silver coin in circulation in Australia may be estimated at not less than 4,500,000Z., which would give the total British coin in Australia at about 1,125,0001. |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Australia | British and Australian silver issued and withdrawn -- CUMULATIVE ISSUE, not circulation | 1872-1922 (British); 1910-1922 (Australian) | 2,029,146 | pounds sterling | report page null
The total British silver issued in Australia from 187 22—1922 is 3,654,995 Amount withdrawn during 1872—1922 1,625,849 Net issue ...£2,029,] 46 Australian silver coin issued 1910-1922 ...£4,558,100 |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Australia | British bronze coin | 1923 | 94,240 | pounds sterling | report page null
The total amount of British bronze coin issued by the Australian branches of the Royal Mint is 180,100[., so that this estimate would allow for the disappearance of 85.860Z. of this coin from circulation. |
| 1923 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (A. M. Le Souef, Deputy Master), Appendix M "ESTIMATE of the CURRENCY of VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA", dated 12th December 1923 | Commonwealth of Australia | total currency of Australia: notes, gold coin, silver coin, bronze coin | 1923 | 45,080,209 | pounds sterling | report page null
Gold Coin held by Treasury . . 24,780,209 Estimate of Gold Coin held by banks 1. 19,300,000 Estimate of Gold Coin still held by public 1,000,000 —— 45,080,209 Total Silver Coin 4,500,000 Total Bronze Coin 387,893 |
| 1927 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Deputy Master) | Commonwealth of Australia | British silver coin | 1927-09-30 | 436,000 | pounds sterling | report page null
1310111 data kindly furnished at my request by the Banks of Victoria, the total amount of British silver coin remaining in circulation 111 Australia on 30th September, 1927, is estimated by me at approxi- mately 436,000l. |
| 1931 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Mr. McCay, Deputy Master) | Australia | British silver coin of the old (925) standard | 1931-12-31 | none (a qualitative statement) | report page null
Practically no British silver coins of the old standard remain in Australia, and it would appear that the withdrawal undertaken by the Treasury in 1910 is now completed. 43,0001. in bronze coin were exported to the United Kingdom. |
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| 1933 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Hugh D. McCay, Deputy Master) | Australia | Australian silver coin still circulating | 1933 | 6,500,000 | pounds sterling | report page null
The mean annual rate of wear of the coins as a whole was 0-1952 per cent., so that, on the assumption that 6,500,0001. is still circulatintr the annual loss by wear at the face value of the coins (53. 611. p3} ounce) has been 12,6881. |
| 1933 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Hugh D. McCay, Deputy Master) | Australia | how the circulating silver was sampled | 1933 | 75,000 | pieces | report page null
The results obtained were very similar from each parcel, the total number of coins examined being 75,000, consisting of 15,000 each of florins, shillings and Sixpences and 30,000 threepences |
| 1933 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Hugh D. McCay, Deputy Master) | Australia | date composition of the florins actually in circulation, from the 75,000-coin sample | 1933 | pieces in the sample | report page null
5 898 1910—11 3-94 -1791 896 1912—13 3-58 - 1790 1,459 1914—15 2-99 - 1661 2,690 1916—17 2-68 - 1675 Florins "a 1,411 1918—19 246 -1757 525 1920—21 1 -81 - 1508 2,162 1922—24 1 ~50 - 1667 L 4,959 1925—32 -69 - 1725 |
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| 1933 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Hugh D. McCay, Deputy Master) | Australia | date composition of the shillings actually in circulation, from the 75,000-coin sample | 1933 | pieces in the sample | report page null
1,599 1910—11 457 -2077 750 1912—13 3-99 - 1995 1,730 1914—15 360 -2000 4,320 1916—17 2-88 - 1800 Shillings ..< 866 1918—19 2-70 -1929 952 1920—21 1 ~93 - 1608 1,545 1922—24 1 -65 - 1833 L 3,238 1925—32 -79 - 1975 |
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| 1933 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Hugh D. McCay, Deputy Master) | Australia | date composition of the sixpences actually in circulation, from the 75,000-coin sample | 1933 | pieces in the sample | report page null
1,724 1910—11 5-56 -2527 526 1912—13 5- 15 -2575 591 1914—15 4-53 -2517 d 1,295 1916—17 3-86 2412 Sixpences ..‘ 1,364 1918—19 3-32 -2371 2,643 1920—21 2 - 69 - 2242 1,477 1922—24 2 - 15 - 2389 L 5,380 1925—32 1-32 -2620 |
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| 1933 | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch (Hugh D. McCay, Deputy Master) | Australia | date composition of the threepences actually in circulation, from the 75,000-coin sample | 1933 | pieces in the sample | report page null
2,911 1910—11 5-74 -2609 584 1912—13 5-39 -2695 717 1914—15 500 -2778 Threepences 2,132 1916—17 4-06 -2662 5 4,063 1918—19 3-43 2450 4,935 1920—21 2 - 68 - 2333 3,425 1922—24 2 - 14 - 2378 L11,233 1925—32 1 - 31 - 2620 |
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| 1951 | Royal Mint, London (L. L. H. Thompson, Deputy Master and Comptroller) | Australia | all coin, per head of population | 1951 | 80 | shillings per head of population | report page null
The total coin per head of population in circulation in the two territories is about 64 shillings and 80 shillings respectively—a ratio, which by an interesting coincidence is identical |
| 1951 | Royal Mint, London (L. L. H. Thompson, Deputy Master and Comptroller) | Australia | the split of silver circulation between denominations | 1951 | 71.15 | per cent. of the value of silver coin in circulation | report page null
There is no halfcrown in the Australian system of metallic currency, but the corresponding figures for the 2s., 15,. and 6d., denominations are:—~ 23. Is. 6d. 71'15 17-42 11-43 |