How to Identify the Australian Crown

Begin with the reverse, because it settles the identification on its own. Look for a single crown above the words COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, with ONE CROWN and a date beneath. Only the 1937 and 1938 Australian crowns carry this design and this denomination, so if you see it you have the type in hand. If the reverse instead shows two shillings' worth of heraldry or a different value, you are looking at a florin or another denomination, not a crown.

Turn to the obverse and confirm the monarch. This type shows a bare-headed King George VI facing left, ringed by the Latin legend GEORGVS VI D.G.BR.OMN.REX. A different portrait or a queen's name means a different coin entirely; the Australian crown exists only under George VI.

Use size and weight as a cross-check, because the crown is large and hard to fake convincingly. A genuine piece is sterling silver (0.925 fine), about 28.3 grams, roughly 38.5 mm across, with a reeded edge. It should not be attracted to a magnet. A caliper and a small scale will catch most base-metal copies at a glance, since a cast fake usually misses the weight or diameter.

Check the date, as it is the main variable within the type. Only 1937 and 1938 exist for circulation, both struck at the Melbourne Mint with no visible mint-mark letter. Because 1938 is the scarcer and more valuable date, examine the final digit under magnification for signs of tooling or alteration on any coin presented as a 1938.

Mind the look-alikes and the fakes. The crown should not be confused with the smaller silver florin or shilling, nor with British crowns of the same era, which name Britain rather than Australia on the reverse. For a large silver coin like this, cleaned surfaces and cast counterfeits are the main hazards, so for any high-grade or 1938 example seek authentication from a reputable dealer or third-party grading service before relying on it.