Abacus Auctions

Abacus Auctions Stamps & Postal history, Coins & Banknotes, Postcards & Sporting Memorabilia & Collectibles We have chosen as our motto "You Can Count On Us!".

About Abacus Auctions

Abacus Auctions is a Melbourne-based auction house dedicated to offering our clients a wide variety of Stamps, Postal History, Picture Postcards, Coins, Banknotes, Militaria, Sporting Memorabilia and associated Collectables such as Documents, Maps and Ephemera through our regular Public Auctions. Our Specialists Gary Watson (former owner of Prestige Philately), Nick Anning,

Max Williamson, Michael Eastick and Torsten Weller between them have well over 120 years industry experience and are recognised experts in their respective fields. This is not just a cheesy catch-phrase, but the most important guideline for our entire operation. You can count on us to strive for the highest standards in lotting, describing and grading the items we offer, and to produce the best-quality catalogues available. You can count on us to offer a user-friendly website featuring numerous additional scans that can’t be accommodated in our catalogues as well as continuously updated Starting Prices
You can count on us to treat you with respect, to value and appreciate your contributions as bidder and/or seller, and to put the emphasis on the enjoyment of collecting. You can count on us to provide an outstanding auction day experience, from our friendly staff to a delicious afternoon tea; from modest but welcoming premises, assistance with your travel arrangements and plenty of free parking. If you are a vendor, you can count on us to protect your money and to pay you within 45 calendar days of the auction. Apart from the quality of our catalogues and the material on offer, you will also notice certain differences in our Terms of Sale from what you may be used to in dealing with other firms. We offer modest bidding steps of only 5%, and where a lot has no prior bids you have the chance to buy it at the reserve price, not one bid higher. Our Buyer’s Premium is 19.8% all-inclusive, and we actively encourage you to pay any amount by Visa or MasterCard free of any surcharges. Everyone who works at Abacus is entirely focused on how we can serve our clients better. From time to time we may not live up to your expectations, and we want you to point this out to us so that we can improve our service. We welcome your assessment, and value your feedback
We warmly invite your participation in our auctions as either a vendor or a bidder (or both!) and invite you to contact us to find out how we can be of assistance.

Kempton Park Stamp Show March
23/03/2026

Kempton Park Stamp Show March

06/11/2025

Abacus Auctions will be attending the event, with staff available to discuss your requirements, whether buying or selling.

Their next sale, Public Auction 262 will be held 2 - 5 December 2025. 😄

The next sale includes everything for collectors including - Australia & Worldwide Stamps, Postal History, Coins & Banknotes, Militaria, Sporting Memorabilia & Collectables General Sale including James Halliday's South Australia Departmental Overprints, David Adams' Penny Kangaroos,
extensive Australian Commonwealth, New Guinea & Papua, Pacific Islands and New Zealand.

Hobart Stamp Show 2025
05/11/2025

Hobart Stamp Show 2025

Stampex Booth October 2025
05/11/2025

Stampex Booth October 2025

Philakorea 2025 World Stamp Exhibition Stand E25, now open for business. We look forward to catering to your collecting ...
17/09/2025

Philakorea 2025 World Stamp Exhibition Stand E25, now open for business. We look forward to catering to your collecting needs.

Feel like starting a new postcard collection or expand your existing one, then Lot 2526 in Auction 261 is for you. Many ...
16/09/2025

Feel like starting a new postcard collection or expand your existing one, then Lot 2526 in Auction 261 is for you. Many beautiful cards depicting a variety of British themes.

Exciting News - Jason Gillespie's collection will be a major part of Auction 260. We look forward to showcasing this exc...
23/05/2025

Exciting News - Jason Gillespie's collection will be a major part of Auction 260. We look forward to showcasing this exciting group.

https://www.thesenior.com.au/story/8911245/valuable-australian-coins-pennies-pounds-plus-what-to-look-for/?src=rss&utm_s...
13/05/2025

https://www.thesenior.com.au/story/8911245/valuable-australian-coins-pennies-pounds-plus-what-to-look-for/?src=rss&utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_term=1231519&utm_campaign=TheSenior

From "schoolboy collections" in neat folders to a random jar filled with various change, curiosity can always emerge about the value of old coins.

Abacus Auctions coin and banknote specialist Nick Anning says the only way to know for sure if you're sitting on more than a pretty penny is to see an expert, having come across numerous times when the internet has gone mad about nothing.

"The internet can actually leave you more confused than when you went in," he said.

"There is so much misinformation... People are asking ridiculous amounts of money for coins you can find in your change."

He recalled one example of a 1988 $2 coin by Horst Hahne with his initials under the figure of Warlpiri-Anmatyerre man Gwoya Tjungurrayi, of which there are "tens of millions" of such examples and weren't worth more than face value.

"It was just a sort of almost like a viral thing that got out of hand," Mr Anning said.

However, you would be in more luck if you had a 1930 Australian Penny, which is among the most valuable coins.

Mr Anning said while unconfirmed, it is estimated between 1200 and 1500 copies were minted, and today could sell for between $15,000 and $50,000, depending on the grade.

The 1923 Half Penny can commonly go for $1000, but untouched ones can go for thousands.

Mr Anning said Australia's first gold coin, the 1852 Adelaide Pound, could also fetch a tidy sum.

He said the coin was produced amid a coin shortage in the Australian colonies at this time and laws were changed to create coins locally, albeit without Royal approval.

"Most of them were melted down because as gold went up, the gold value was over the One Pound face value of the coin," Mr Anning said.

A Type II example of the coin from 1852 was estimated to sell at auction in late March for $18,000.

Mr Anning originally hails from England, but amassed a wealth of knowledge about Australia through collecting stamps and coins.

Through them he learned about when Australia became a Federation and when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was built.

"[Stamp coin collection is] a tremendously satisfying hobby, it's something you can do in those cold winter nights [plus]; there are clubs, there's lots of shows," he said.

But how do you know it's not just fool's gold? An expert explains.

Gary Watson receiving the Special Prize for the Best Literature Entry at the Sydney Exhibition from the Chairman, Geoff ...
05/05/2025

Gary Watson receiving the Special Prize for the Best Literature Entry at the Sydney Exhibition from the Chairman, Geoff Lewis.

Abacus Auctions Award in the Literature class at The Sydney Stamp and Coin Expo.
24/03/2025

Abacus Auctions Award in the Literature class at The Sydney Stamp and Coin Expo.

Auction 259 Lot 1705.1962 Stage Art of Mei Lan-fang 4f to 50f set SG 2037-2044, a few characteristic 'fluffy' perfs, unm...
22/03/2025

Auction 259 Lot 1705.
1962 Stage Art of Mei Lan-fang 4f to 50f set SG 2037-2044, a few characteristic 'fluffy' perfs, unmounted, Cat £1100.

We look forward to seeing you at booths 6 & 7.
18/03/2025

We look forward to seeing you at booths 6 & 7.

Address

29 Hardner Road, Mount Waverley
Melbourne, VIC
3149

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61385130595

Website

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