1928 Shilling

[fred lever]

Re #14. Yep, Neal dead right, I was going by memory, must have been the State police or a Commonwealth body possibly with "Federal" in their name.
I can't even remember where the reference was, too busy dive in to archives to sort it out.
Whoever it was, the volume of non-mint shillings in circulation warranted police action.

Fred.

[Basilstate]

Fred,in the book i read it said it was the NSW Fraud Squad,in NSW at least, that were investigating the fake Coins in the late 1920's early 1930's.
Also IIRC they had 2 Detectives on it full time back then.
Surely Canberra/Melb. would have some sort of authority over illegal/fake currency back then but i don't remember them being involved in the Books i read.

[fred lever]

Ok, here is the reference:
The problem was first noticed by the Commonwealth Treasury, that's why "Commonwealth" was stuck in my head.
The number of Shillings exceeded anything made at the Mint and "alarmed the high officials of the Commonwealth Treasury".
Large department stores were banking "thousands of pounds' worth" weekly of silver.
The forgers were minting coins of the same or better silver content and making a profit by laundering the silver though the big stores.
Reference is book "The Shadow" by Vince Kelly 1963.
Chapter 4 "The International Coining Ring, page 52 of my copy.
The CIB in Sydney kicked off the investigation.
Best to read the book and get the exact details.
Fred.