I realize that the obverse is gunked up pretty badly, and it doesn't appear to be a key date of any sort... Is it worth any more than melt? Does it deserve a grade or did the gunk, the cleaning (?), and the scratches do it in? Maybe a die crack on the reverse as well (last "A" in "Australia"...) (Edit: I Googled and found out that the "D" means "Denver". Cool.) Thanks!
I would say it is beyond any numismatic value. Mintage is 16,000,000. But still good for melt at ASW of .04193257.
You never heard of Denver, Australia? @Dougmeister, I have one in that technical grade, and it's a beauty. I love these WWII coins. Honestly, I'd see if I could get that junk off. Short of a Brillo pad, you don't want to do that. Maybe there's a solution that might improve it. You'd want to go for seeing the whole design, like the engraver intended you to. White vinegar may improve that a little, as silver seems to tolerate it. But I'd go to work on it. Lots of history behind that baby. It's worth conserving.
This coin was minted in Denver Co. USA. check this link.https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces2980.html
This was actually the 1st silver world coin i added to my collection a while ago. I too didn't know that the US minted coins for other countries until I researched this coin. Here is mine. Paid just over a dollar for it.
WW2 trench art, probably. A ton of these got made into buttons and charms and love tokens and were sent home as souvenirs to the sweethearts and families of US servicemen who had liberty in Australia during the Pacific campaign. While detecting in an old house's front yard here in Brunswick, GA, I dug up a 1940s Australian sixpence that had been "domed" like that to create a button. @Dougmeister - while your piece might never be worth much more than bullion value, it could perhaps be "de-gunkified" a tad with acetone to improve its appearance.
It is two 1943 3pence "domed" and welded/soldered Face to Face. I think it may have been a jewerly makers test piece. I looks like it may have been in a coin ring for a necklace. Just a guess really.
