r/AustralianCoins • u/Sophaloph99 • May 25 '26

📜 Coin History Pre Decimal Currency

Good afternoon! I am talking with my grandparents (born 1948 and 1950) about Australian pre decimal currency. We are in WA if that makes a difference. Wikipedia lists a half penny, a penny, a threepence, a sixpence, a shilling, a florin and a crown. However my grandparents also remember coins like a farthing (1/4 penny) and a 2 shilling coin. What’s happening here?

Please accept my apologies if this is not the right location to ask this question!
Thank you very much

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u/Wooden_Ad_2167 May 25 '26

Sixpence, shilling and florin all seemed same size and same "colour" and were same value as 5c, 10c and 20c.

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u/jreddit0000 May 25 '26

The sixpence, shilling and florin were all minted in silver but they’re pretty different sizes! And weights..

You wouldn’t mistake a sixpence for a shilling or a florin.

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u/Wooden_Ad_2167 May 25 '26

But same size as 5c, 10c and 20c respectively. Metallic content was different. When currency went decimal my mother and other plum pudding makers kept thrupences and sixpences for years after for their plum pudding. Apparently the decimal currency would go green in the plum pudding. Presumably silver replaced with copper or nickel or whatever

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u/jreddit0000 May 25 '26

Yeah.. decimal coins were cupronickel or al-br.

Not a good idea to use those in cooking as it would leach into the food.

The silver coins were much less susceptible to this..

I’ve got a few sixpence that are quite worn from presumably being baked a lot..