Harris Numismatics: Coins & Collectables

15/07/2026

Historical coppers available
1806 Half Penny “3 berries” -message for pricing.

14/07/2026

Check out 1966 Royal Australian Mint Uncirculated Decimal Coin Set Sealed Never Opened, the latest item I added on eBay! https://ebay.us/m/XGMrq4

13/07/2026

With The Royal Mint Museum – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉
Come and see some ancient British and Australian coins on August 1st.

13/07/2026

Long before coins and currency, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples traded ochres, furs, tools, plants and food through vast networks that connected communities across Australia.

Learn more about the systems of trade and barter used by First Nations peoples for thousands of years and explore the voices, histories and cultures woven through Australia’s story in our Songlines tours at the Mint.

Book your free spot now: bit.ly/SonglineTours

12/07/2026

Did you know? The problems with our first 50 cent coin:

Australia introduced the round 50-cent coin on February 14, 1966, alongside decimal currency. Designed by Stuart Devlin, it featured the Australian Coat of Arms.

The original 1966 round 50-cent coin had a face value of 50 cents, replacing the old 5-shilling coin.

Because it was made of 80% silver, global price surges quickly made the metal inside worth more than the coin's face value. People hoarded them, forcing the government to stop making them after just one year.
It was big. It measured 31.65 mm across and weighed 13.28 grams.Here is why it disappeared:Melt Value: The coin contained 10.6 grams of pure silver. When the global price of silver went up, the melt value of the coin passed its 50-cent face value.The Hoarding: People realized the coin was worth more as metal than as money. People took them out of circulation and melted them down for cash.The Mix-up: The round 50-cent coin was roughly the same size as the 20-cent coin. This caused a lot of confusion for shoppers and people with vision impairments.Because of this, the Royal Australian Mint withdrew the round coins and replaced them in 1969 with a 12-sided (dodecagonal) 50-cent coin made of copper and nickel. This new shape made it easy to tell apart from other coins by feel alone.Today, the 1966 round 50-cent coin is a rare collector's item.

11/07/2026

I just added a new item to eBay, Australian Token Hogarth & Erichsen - 1858 Silver 3d RARITY 8 R253 A688! https://ebay.us/m/QOoVn6

10/07/2026

What could have been!

In the early 1900s, Australia considered a bold new design for its silver coinage. A pattern florin by W H J Blakemore featured a map of Australia, moving away from traditional heraldic styles. Although it was not selected, trial pieces were produced and the design remains a distinctive part of numismatic history.