Counterfeit Detection: Australia 1934-35 Victoria-Melbourne Florin

Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, was founded in 1835 and named after the British prime minister at the time. It was the nation’s interim capital in the early 20th century and now serves as the capital of the southern state of Victoria.

Genuine Australia 1934-35 Victoria-Melbourne Florin. Click images to enlarge.

An Australia 1934-35 Florin commemorating Melbourne’s 100th anniversary was designed by renowned English coin designer George Kruger Gray. Almost a third of the initial mintage of 75,000 was melted down, and the coin carries a premium today. Mint State examples can sell for several hundred dollars.

Counterfeit Australia 1934-35 Victoria-Melbourne Florin. Click images to enlarge.

Recently, NGC received a purported example of this coin. Unfortunately for the submitter, the coin is not genuine. It exhibits very poor details on both sides. For example, the mane of the horse is missing details, possibly because the counterfeiter appears to have overpolished the die there.

Close-up of genuine (left) and counterfeit. Click images to enlarge.

The counterfeit also has rough, porous surfaces, which is especially obvious on the devices. The face and crown of King George V, for example, look pockmarked when viewed under magnification.

Counterfeiters do not limit themselves to any particular country or denomination of coin; they will look for any opportunity to make money. In fact, NGC has featured several other Australian coins in the Counterfeit Detection column, including:

• an Australia 1944 Florin that had been damaged to look like a die cap
• a counterfeit Australia 1917P Gold Sovereign
• a counterfeit Australia 2012 Year of the Dragon Silver Dollar

Collectors of Australian coins can rest assured that NGC-certified coins are backed by the NGC Guarantee of grade and authenticity.

Did you know? NGC has created a comprehensive Counterfeit Detection resource to help collectors and dealers identify counterfeit and altered coins. Visit NGCcoin.com/counterfeit.