1981 20 Cent "3 1/2 Claw" Variety - MS64 #39232028

Coin Details:

• Name: 1981 20 Cent "3 1/2 Claw" Variety, Scalloped Letters Obverse, Royal Canadian Mint Strike
  
• Denomination: 20 Cents
• Year: 1981
• Grading: MS64
  • Service: PCGS
  • Grade: MS64
  • Population: 85
• Certification Number: https://www.pcgs.com/cert/39232028

Description: This 1981 20 cent coin is a highly sought-after "3 1/2 Claw" variety, struck at the Royal Canadian Mint.  To assist with production demands, both the Royal Mint (Llantrisant) and the Royal Canadian Mint were commissioned to strike Australian coinage in 1981. 

This particular variety is distinguished by the platypus on the reverse having only 3 1/2 claws on its left paw (the claw on the far right appears to be half missing), rather than the usual four.  

It also exhibits "Scalloped" or "Curve Base Lettering" on the Obverse legend. While millions of 1981 20 cent coins were minted, those struck at the Royal Canadian Mint, and specifically the "3 1/2 Claw" variety, are particularly popular with collectors.  

The 1981 20c coins struck at the Royal Mint (Llantrisant) are differentiated by minor variations in the Queen's effigy hairstyle (more bouffant) on the obverse. This Canadian strike is a key variety for collectors of Australian decimal coinage.