Comments on "British Empire & C/W: pre-decimal denominations"

[translateltd]

You get people claiming they were intended for use in NZ too, though "intended" might be the key word - had NZ and Australia ever been occupied, the "OC" series notes may well have been pressed into service in those countries too.

And by bizarre coincidence there's a picture of one of these notes in yesterday's New Zealand Herald in a piece marking the imminent 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, claiming that NZers would have had more cause to be jittery if they'd known Japan was preparing "invasion money"!

[<k>]

The number of design elements (three wheat stalks) representing the number of the denomination?

Clever, but not the one I was thinking of. 

[malj1]

Intended is indeed the right word, if the Anzacs had not fought so hard it it may have been a very different story. The sterling notes are so very much rarer as they saw little circulation. the 10/- especially is very difficult to obtain, I have been seeking one for many years.

[malj1]

Clever, but not the one I was thinking of. 

The only coin without an animal and the only coin not to have the date in the outer legend.

[Figleaf]

You don't show all the obverses, but it's likely to be the only one with the feudal term DEI GRATIA spelled out. Even in the middle ages that didn't happen often.

Peter

[malj1]

And in 1953-4 they caused a bit of a rumpus by omitting Defender of the Faith, this was reinstated in 1955. [F.D.]

[<k>]

The only coin without an animal and the only coin not to have the date in the outer legend.

The penny and ha'penny do not have the date in the outer legend. Your other point is true but, hmm, without significance, I would say. For me heraldic animals and naturalistic ones are different entities, anyway. You're still not there...

[<k>]

You don't show all the obverses, but it's likely to be the only one with the feudal term DEI GRATIA spelled out. Even in the middle ages that didn't happen often.

Peter

Talking of "feudal", those darned Ozzies have spelt out all the denominations.  Quel crime! 

DEI GRATIA is not spelled out on any obverse. It's meaningless myth nowadays, of course. Only North Africans and the like believe in such entities these days.

[malj1]

Perhaps now...  "There but for the Dei Gratia go I."

[translateltd]

One thing I've never quite managed to fathom regarding the JIM notes: while the main denominations in most of the series were declared equal in value to the yen (Malaya dollar, Burma rupee, East Indies roepiah, etc.), what happened with the Oceania notes?  Was the shilling revalued similarly in that case?

[villa66]

It's the only one without "Australia's" star?

v.

[<k>]

It's the only one without "Australia's" star?

v.

Brilliant, villa! Even the Aussies didn't notice it!

Until this year I never noticed the star, or probably assumed it was mere ornamentation, until I saw this sketch of 1926 by George Kruger-Gray:




Notice that the number of points on the star is wrong - BUT it made me think of the FLAG!

From Wikipedia:

The Commonwealth Star (also known as the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901.

Six points of the Star represent the six original states of the Commonwealth of Australia, while the seventh point represents the territories and any future states. The original Star had only six points; however, the proclamation in 1905 of the Territory of Papua led to the addition of the seventh point in 1908 to represent it and future territories.

So that star is of great significance to Australia.

[malj1]

Brilliant, villa! Even the Aussies didn't notice it!
Until this year I never noticed the star, or probably assumed it was mere ornamentation, until I saw this sketch of 1926 by George Kruger-Gray:
Notice that the number of points on the star is wrong - BUT it made me think of the FLAG!
So that star is of great significance to Australia.

But see the one-off 1921 shilling; Above the date is a small star, this was intended to indicate that the metal content in the coin had been dropped from .925 fine to .500 fine, a debasement which did not occur. this has 5 points [while those in the shield have six points] - this is now a highly prized addition to any collection.

[translateltd]

New Zealand issued its first crown in 1935. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Maori chiefs. For some reason, the New Zealanders chose to commemorate this event on a crown dated 1935.

It isn't actually a Waitangi commemorative - it was meant to be part of the original 1933 coin series but was delayed by a couple of years.

[villa66]

It isn't actually a Waitangi commemorative - it was meant to be part of the original 1933 coin series but was delayed by a couple of years.

I remember reading that and trying to wrap my mind around it. Finally arrived at something like "the '35 crown depicts the fact of the event, rather than being a celebration of the event itself."

v.