Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2024 February 21

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

February 21

Three bob

The Sun on Sunday of 4 February reports that a charity worker found an "1813 silver 15 pence from New South Wales" in a donation. This is expected to sell for around seven thousand pounds as "Few examples have survived as most were melted down in the 1840s." I assume there was a mint in Sydney (there was one in Perth - don't know if it's still functioning) and if they did strike three shilling coins, why did they do it only to melt them down shortly after? 2A00:23D0:CC2:801:417D:F1D9:7A87:BF7D (talk) 10:17, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

"After gold was discovered in Australia, the Royal Mint opened branches in Australia. The Sydney Mint opened in 1854 and issued half sovereigns and sovereigns, with the Melbourne Mint beginning production in 1872." See History of Australian currency. So I doubt they we minted in Australia. (EDIT) The Perth Mint opened in 1899. 41.23.55.195 (talk) 10:41, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

In fact they were not minted in the normal sense. They were "drops" punched out of Spanish silver dollars. They were demonetized in 1829 and I would guess that their relative purity (.903) lead to their melting. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces17316.html 41.23.55.195 (talk) 10:57, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

I thought this was just reporting by a journalist too young to remember pre-decimal currency. They're talking about fifteen old pennies, but that sum of money was never described as anything other than "one shilling and threepence" - or so I thought. Looking at the link, the narrative is indeed "one shilling and threepence", but the coin actually says "FIFTEEN PENCE", no doubt because it's easier to punch "FIFTEEN PENCE" than it is to punch "ONE SHILLING AND THREEPENCE." 95.144.174.15 (talk) 13:47, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

FYI, more commonly "one and three", the shillings and pence being understood. Martin of Sheffield (talk) 14:30, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

Agreed, but but on a coin you must necessarily be precise - you wouldn't want to tender one of these and have the shopkeeper tell you it's only worth one and three farthings (1 3/4d) ! 2A00:23C7:2B14:A201:A8E3:4FF1:EAA2:29F9 (talk) 14:43, 21 February 2024 (UTC)

|}