1 Shilling - Elizabeth II (1st Portrait; with "F:D:")
Australia • 1 Shilling • Silver (.500) • 1955–1963
- Denomination
- 1 Shilling
- Issuer
- Australia
- Struck
- 1955–1963
- Composition
- Silver (.500)
- Currency
- Pound
- Weight
- 5.65 g
- Diameter
- 23.5 mm
- Catalog refs
- KM 59 · Schön 47
Where to find one
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Where it came from
The 1955 Australian shilling featuring the first portrait of Queen Elizabeth II represents a transitional period in Commonwealth coinage. Minted during the early years of her reign, this issue retains the 'F:D:' (Fidei Defensor or Defender of the Faith) abbreviation in the monarch's legend, a stylistic detail that would be removed from subsequent Australian issues following public debate regarding the inclusion of religious titles on secular currency.
The obverse portrait of the Queen was designed by Mary Gillick, whose work was selected through a competitive process to provide a fresh, youthful image of the monarch for the new era. The reverse features the Australian coat of arms, a design consistent with the shilling series established earlier in the century. These coins were produced in cupro-nickel, reflecting the post-war shift away from silver coinage that had occurred in Australia beginning in 1946.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About 1 Shilling - Elizabeth II (1st Portrait; with "F:D:")
1 Shilling - Elizabeth II (1st Portrait; with "F:D:") is a coin in the Coins catalog on collecto.rs. Australia • 1 Shilling • Silver (.500) • 1955–1963. Catalog data is sourced from Numista. No collectors on collecto.rs publicly track this coin yet — adding yours would make you the first.
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Where does the 1 Shilling - Elizabeth II (1st Portrait; with "F:D:") catalog entry come from?
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