Rare ChangeAU

RARE CHANGE / NOTES / PLATE 27 · £1 · 1952-1961 · NOTE

One pound, Coombs/Wilson, and what it's worth

An Australian one pound note signed by H.C. Coombs and R. Wilson, from any of its three printings (the 1952 King George VI design, or the Queen Elizabeth II design of 1953 or 1961), with an ordinary all-digit serial number and no star.

Typical sale · Extremely Finen = 19

A genuine one, barely worn

$120

Middle half of sales $75 to $270. Lowest $40, highest $6,000.

Hammer prices (before buyer's fees) from 37 single-item sales at Noble Numismatics and Downies, 2016 to 2025. Updated 30 Oct 2026.

Prices by condition

AUD

Worn coins sell for less. Find the row that looks most like yours.

Heavily wornGood to Very Good · 1 sale

Too few sales for a fair price

WornFine · 1 sale

Too few sales for a fair price

Lightly wornVery Fine · 3 sales

Too few sales for a fair price

Barely wornExtremely Fine · 19 sales

$120

Never usedUncirculated · 13 sales

$300

Line: lowest to highest sale. Box: the middle half of sales. Dot: the median, half sold for more and half for less.

Recent sales

Hammer
DateConditionAuctionPrice
25 Nov 2025 Never used Noble $480
25 Nov 2025 Barely worn Noble $300
28 Jul 2025 Never used Noble $440
28 Jul 2025 Barely worn Noble $40
28 Jul 2025 Barely worn Noble $240
25 Nov 2024 Never used Noble $320

How to check yours

Each letter on the drawing marks where to look. A magnifying glass or your phone's zoom helps.

Front of the note
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA£1£1The QueenCoombsWilsonAA/00 000000AA/00 000000Layout only, not to scale. Serial shown is an example.BCAD

  1. Do the two signatures read Coombs and Wilson?

    The two printed signatures on the front of the note
    YES
    The signatures are those of H.C. Coombs and R. Wilson.
    NO
    The signatures show another pair, such as Coombs and Watt, or Armitage and McFarlane.

  2. Is there a small star where the serial number's final digit would be?

    The end of the serial number on the front
    YES
    The serial number ends in a hollow five-pointed star instead of a digit.
    NO
    Every character of the serial number after the prefix is a digit.

  3. Does the prefix read HA/00?

    The letters and figures printed before the serial number on a Queen Elizabeth II note
    YES
    The prefix before the serial number reads HA/00, the first prefix of the 1953 Queen Elizabeth II printing.
    NO
    The prefix shows other letters or figures.

  4. Is the printing or cutting visibly faulty?

    The whole note, front and back, including the edges
    YES
    The design is cut off or shifted, ink from another sheet shows on the note, part of the design is missing, or a flap of extra paper is attached.
    NO
    The design sits evenly within the edges and is fully printed.
Check mine from a photo

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Record

Face value
£1
Issued
1952 to 1961
Signatures
Coombs/Wilson (1952, 1953, 1961)
  • The Coombs/Wilson signatures were used on the King George VI one pound note from 1952. [4][7]
  • The Queen Elizabeth II one pound design shows the Queen on the front and Charles Sturt and Hamilton Hume on the back. [1][4]
  • A later Coombs/Wilson printing of the one pound note is dated 1961. [8][15]
  • The King George VI one pound design, first issued in 1938, shows a pastoral scene on the back. [2][4]
  • The Queen Elizabeth II design carries a Captain James Cook watermark. [1][4]
  • H.C. Coombs was Governor of the Commonwealth Bank from January 1949 and became the first Governor of the Reserve Bank in January 1960, serving until July 1968. [3][5]
  • Roland Wilson, the second signatory, headed the Treasury as its Secretary from 1 April 1951 to 27 October 1966. [6][9]
  • Star replacement notes were also made for the one pound note; they are a separate item from this ordinary issue. [7][11]

Questions

How much is a One pound, Coombs/Wilson worth?

A genuine One pound, Coombs/Wilson in barely worn condition (Extremely Fine) has typically sold for $120 at Australian auctions, with the middle half of sales between $75 and $270. Better-preserved examples sell for more.

How do I know if my One pound, Coombs/Wilson is genuine?

Work through the checks above. They cover what genuine examples show and what altered or different versions don't. A photo can't prove a coin or note is genuine, so for a valuable find, ask a professional numismatist or a grading service before you sell.

Should I clean it?

No. Cleaning leaves fine scratches that collectors spot at once, and cleaned coins and notes sell for much less. Keep it as it is, in a paper envelope or a coin holder.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from at least two independent sources. Prices come from our own record of auction results.

  1. RBA Museum: 1950s Series (Change and Stability pocket guide), read 29 Oct 2026
  2. RBA Museum: Ash Series 1938-1940 (Change and Stability pocket guide), read 29 Oct 2026
  3. Reserve Bank of Australia: Governors, read 29 Oct 2026
  4. Wikipedia: Banknotes of the Australian pound, read 29 Oct 2026
  5. Wikipedia: H. C. Coombs, read 29 Oct 2026
  6. Wikipedia: Roland Wilson (economist), read 29 Oct 2026
  7. Sterling & Currency: Star Replacement Notes in Australia - How to Collect Them, read 29 Oct 2026
  8. Sterling & Currency: 1961 One Pound Coombs/Wilson R34bS, read 29 Oct 2026
  9. Sterling & Currency: 1966 $10 Star Note Coombs/Wilson R301sF, read 29 Oct 2026
  10. Sterling & Currency: Rare, Wrong, and Worth Collecting - The Appeal of Misprinted Banknotes, read 29 Oct 2026
  11. Australian Coins: Star Notes or Star Replacement Banknotes, read 29 Oct 2026
  12. Coins and Australia: Star notes registry, read 29 Oct 2026
  13. Coins and Australia: Errors and misprints on Australian banknotes, read 29 Oct 2026
  14. Noble Numismatics Sale 122: One pound, Coombs/Wilson (1953), HA/00 first serial prefix, read 29 Oct 2026
  15. Noble Numismatics Sale 133: One pound, Coombs/Wilson (1961), R.34b, read 29 Oct 2026