3½ Claw "Canada" 20 cent
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Dear Sir,
I've collected overseas issues for over twenty years and recently started collecting "Australian" as well. I've made a rather interesting observation with respect to the "lowly" 1981 twenty cent piece. If we refer to page 67 of Australian Coins and Banknotes, 3rd Edition, by Greg McDonald, we find three listings of 1981s; i.e. 165 million CANBERRA. 50 million WALES. 50 million CANADA
Well, having studied these coins intensively over the last six months, the "WALES" and "CANBERRA" versions are exactly the same in appearance. However, the "CANADA" issue is decidedly different. This makes only two distinctly different types.

Type I (Wales and Canberra):
o A concave field on the obverse.
o Different style lettering on the obverse, that is, the bottom of the lettering is "flat".
o The reverse has a platypus with four claws.
Type II (Canada):
o Has a flat field on the obverse,
o The obverse lettering has curved bottoms.
o The reverse has a platypus with three and a half claws.

What makes the discovery interesting is that the Type I is the one in all Mint sets, Proof Sets and in all Mint Rolls. The result is that if a collector tries to find a Mint state version of a 1981 twenty cent piece, he or she will always be given a Type I as all coin dealers only have that variety.
Type IIs were bagged and thrown right into circulation. Nobody seems to have put aside Mint state Type IIs. I've found only three in six months of searching at coin dealers, coin shows etc. I have found over thirty 1968 twenty cent pieces in Mint state. This makes the Type II 1981 florin what I would call an Australian modern rarity. It's been an oversight for years.
Yours faithfully, J.H. (Beecroft N.S.W)

Above, is the original article which sent collectors scurrying to find an Uncirculated piece.
(The Australian Coin Review now incorporated with The Australasian Coin & Banknote Magazine)

The image above shows clearly the left hand claw shortened, which is the easiest way to identify this coin. The claw is situated directly below the 2 in 20 on the reverse.

(D Hughes) Coins from mint rolls - The Canada mint sent the coins it minted in bags to the Royal Australian Mint, where some were placed into rolls by the R.A.M. and released into circulation. It is estimated approximately one 3½ claw coin is found in 6 to 10 rolls.
Scarcity/Rarity - These coins can still be found in pocket change frequently, but finding one in Uncirculated condition is becoming harder. In this case, it is the condition of the coin which determines how scarce or rare it is.
Number of coins - I must state that these figures are educated guesses, based on the numbers of coins found in mint rolls, and having read a few reseaches, and expressions from some dealers. 50 million Canadian 20 cents, on average one 3½ claw per eight rolls, giving a ratio of 1:160 or just over 300,000. Of these, less than 1% would be Uncirculated. While these figures are not accurate, I do consider them to be close.

(Ian) There are reports of the 3½ claw having concave fields, also a gap between the wave and platypus head, same as the 1966 Canberra 20 cent mintmark. Any further information that comes to light will be posted, in the meantime, keep an eye out for the reported differences.

Thanks to Jerry (author of article) and Dennis Hughes for your help
CAB May 04 - v7n4 p33...An excellent article by Lyndsay Bedogni - "Decimal Delemna" revisits the 1981 20cent piece.
Australian Coin Review - March 1996, Page 39 - Letters - J.H.(Beecroft N.S.W)

Happy Hunting