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The first British settlers founded Port Jackson, now part of Sydney, in 1788. The British colonies in Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania) were united as the Commonwealth of Australia on January 1, 1901, and the Statute of Westminister gave Australia full sovereignty on December 11, 1931.

During the eighteenth century, Australia relied on imported Portuguese, Indian, Spanish, Dutch and British coins. In 1800, Australia officially imported pennies from Britain, but the continued shortage of coins led the government to cut out a round hold from Spanish silver dollars, counterstamping them, and making the centerpiece equivalent to 15 pence and the “holey dollar” equivalent to 5 shillings in 1813. The holey dollars were legal tender until 1829 when large importations of coins from Britain began. Nevertheless, coins remained in short supply, and hundreds of local private tokens were minted through the 1860s. Gold was discovered in Australia in 1851 and in 1855 a mint was set up in Sydney to convert the gold into gold sovereigns until 1931.

Australia adopted the British Pound Sterling (GBP) in the eighteenth century, allowing local banks and provinces to issue Pound denominated notes. The Australian Pound (AUP) was officially introduced on September 4, 1909 at par with the British Pound Sterling, and divisible 20 Shillings and 240 Pence. Australia left the Gold Standard on December 17, 1929.

On February 14, 1966, Australia replaced the Australian Pound with the Australian Dollar (AUD) at the rate of 1 Australia Pound equals 2 Australian Dollars. The Dollar is divisible into 100 cents. Banknotes were issued by individual banks until 1910, by the Commonwealth Treasury from 1910 until December 1920, by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia from 1920 until January 14, 1960 and by the Reserve Bank of Australia since then.

Several territories and countries currently use Australian Dollars for currency. These include the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, the Australian Antarctic Territory, the Norfolk Islands, Christmas Islands, the Heard and McDonald Islands, Keeling Cocos Islands, the Republic of Nauru, the Territory of Coral Sea Islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati.

Here is a 1931 dated half penny. The obverse features the Crowned bust facing left of King George V. King George V was born 'George Frederick Ernest Albert' on June 3rd, 1865 and died January 20th, 1936. The reverse depicts the denomination within a circle surrounded by the text 'Commonweatlh of Australia', and the date on the bottom.

• Weight: NA
• Diameter: NA
• Material: Bronze
• Edge: Plain
• Mint: Melbourne
• Mintage: 370,000
• Krause # 22

This penny is dated 1931. The obverse features the Crownded bust facing left of King George V. King George was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from May 6th, 1910 through the First World War (1914–1918) until his death in 1936. The reverse shows the denomination within a circle and the text "Commonwealth of Australia' with the date below.

• Weight: 9.40g
• Diameter: 30.5mm
• Material: Bronze
• Edge: Plain
• Mint: Melbourne
• Mintage: 494,000
• Krause # 23

This coin is dated 1943 and valued 1/2 penny. The obverse features the left facing bust of King George VI. King George was born 'Albert Frederick Arthur George' on December 14th, 1895 and died February 6th, 1952. The reverse depicts a leaping kangaroo facing right, with the value below.

• Weight: 5.70g
• Diameter: NA
• Material: Bronze
• Edge: Plain
• Mint: Melbourne
• Mintage: 33,989,000
• Krause # 41

Here is a Penny dated 1952. The obverse features King George VI. King George was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from December 11th, 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India (until June 22nd, 1948), the last King of Ireland (until April 18th, 1949), and the first Head of the Commonwealth. The reverse shows a leaping kangaroo facing left.

• Weight: NA
• Diameter: 30.5mm
• Material: Bronze
• Edge: Plain
• Mint: Perth
• Mintage: 45,514,000
• Krause # 43

Here is a 1970 Cent. The term 'Penny' was dropped with the adoption of the decimal system, which replaced the pound, shilling, pence system. The obverse features the young bust facing right of Queen Eizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth was born 'Elizabeth Alexandra Mary' on April 21st, 1926. She is the reigning queen and head of state of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, as Head of the Commonwealth, she is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations and, as the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The reverse shows a feather-tailed glider with the denomination inthe center.

• Weight: 2.60g
• Diameter:17.51mm
• Material: Bronze
• Edge: Plain
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: 72,560,000
• Krause # 62

Here is a 2 cent coin dated 1975. The obverse features the young bust facing right of Queen Elizabeth II. In February 1945, the then Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. She trained as a driver and mechanic, drove a military truck, and is now the last surviving head of state who served in uniform during the Second World War. The reverse shows a frill-necked lizard, with the denomination in the center.

• Weight: 5.20g
• Diameter: 21.66mm
• Material: Bronze
• Edge: Plain
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: 100,045,000
• Krause # 63

This 5 cent coin is dated 1981. The obverse features a young bust facing right Queen Elizabeth II. Although Queen Elizabeth's birth placed her third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward (Prince of Wales), and her father. Due to the death of King George V in 1936, the 1936 abdication of her uncle, King Edward, and the Febuary death of King George VI in 1952 ....The little girl born as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, became Queen Elizabeth in Febuary 1952. The reverse depicts an Echidna, also known as a spiny anteater.

Note: For 1966 dated examples, the length of the whisker on top of the forward-most claw at left will indicate the mint: Canberra (less than .5mm) or London (greater than .6mm).

• Weight: 2.80g
• Diameter: 19.4mm
• Material: Copper-Nickel
• Edge: Reeding
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: 162,264,000
• Krause # 64

This coin is valued at 10 cents and dated 1983. The obverse features the right facing young bust of the reigning Queen, Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth plans to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, marking 60 years as Queen. Queen Victoria is the only British monarch to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee, in 1897. Elizabeth could become the longest-lived British head of state (surpassing Richard Cromwell) on January 29th, 2012 at age 85, and the longest-reigning monarch in the history of any of her realms as well as the longest-reigning queen regnant in world history (surpassing Queen Victoria) on September 10th, 2015 at age 89. The reverse reveals a Lyrebird. Lyrebirds are among Australia's best-known native birds.

Note: For 1966 dated examples, 11 spikes on the left Lyrebird indicates a strike from Canberra, 12 spikes indicate a London strike.

• Weight: 5.65g
• Diameter: 23.6mm
• Material: Copper-Nickel
• Edge: Reeding
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: 82,318,000
• Krause # 65

Here is a 1 dollar coin dated 1984. The obverse features the young bust of Queen Elizabeth facing right. Queen Elizabeth has an interest in equestrianism and dogs, especially her Pembroke Welsh Corgis.The queen has owned more than 30 corgis, starting with 'Susan' who was her 18th birthday present.The reverse depicts 5 Kangaroos in various stages of bouncing.

• Weight: 9.0g
• Diameter: 25mm
• Material: Nickel-Aluminum-Copper
• Edge: Alternating Smooth and Reeding
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: 185,985,000
• Krause # 77

This coin is dated 1992 and valued at 5 cents. The obverse features the crowned head facing right of Queen Elizabeth II. Although Queen Elizabeth's birth placed her third in the line of succession to the throne, behind her uncle Edward (Prince of Wales), and her father. Due to the death of King George V in 1936, the 1936 abdication of her uncle, King Edward, and the Febuary death of King George VI in 1952 ....The little girl born as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, became Queen Elizabeth in Febuary 1952. The reverse depicts an Echidna, also known as a spiny anteater.

• Weight: 2.80g
• Diameter: 19.25mm
• Material: Copper-Nickel
• Edge: Reeded
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: 36,200,000
• Krause # 80

Here is a 10 cent coin dated 1992. The obverse features the right facing crowned head of the reigning Queen, Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth plans to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, marking 60 years as Queen. Queen Victoria is the only British monarch to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee, in 1897. Elizabeth could become the longest-lived British head of state (surpassing Richard Cromwell) on January 29th, 2012 at age 85, and the longest-reigning monarch in the history of any of her realms as well as the longest-reigning queen regnant in world history (surpassing Queen Victoria) on September 10th, 2015 at age 89. The reverse reveals a Lyrebird. Lyrebirds are among Australia's best-known native birds.

• Weight: 5.65g
• Diameter: 23.6mm
• Material: Copper-Nickel
• Edge: Reeded
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: 29,800,000
• Krause # 81

This 2006 dated coin is valued at 5 cents. The obverse features the head with tiara facing right of Queen Eizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth was born 'Elizabeth Alexandra Mary' on April 21st, 1926. She is the reigning queen and head of state of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms, as Head of the Commonwealth, she is the figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations and, as the British monarch, she is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The reverse was designed by Stuart Devlin and depicts an Echidna, also known as a spiny anteater.

• Weight: 2.83g
• Diameter: 19.44mm
• Material: Copper-Nickel
• Edge: Reeded
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: NA
• Krause # 401

This is a 10 cent coin dated 2006. The obverse was designed by Ian Rank-Broadly and features the head with tiara facing right of Queen Elizabeth II. In February 1945, the then Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, joined the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. She trained as a driver and mechanic, drove a military truck, and is now the last surviving head of state who served in uniform during the Second World War.The reverse, designed by Stuart Devlin, shows a Lyrebird, which are among Australia's best-known native birds.

• Weight: 5.66g
• Diameter: 23.6mm
• Material: Copper-Nickel
• Edge: Reeded
• Mint: NA
• Mintage: NA
• Krause # 402

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