The Perth Mint has released the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games Coin in anticipation of a sporting event that has grown to involve more competitors than the Olympics.

The World Masters Games began in Toronto in 1985. They have occurred on approximately 4 year intervals ever since. The games have been held in Aalborg, Aarhus and Herning, Denmark (1989), Brisbane, Australia (1994), Portland, Oregon, United States (1998), Melbourne, Australia (2002) and Edmonton, Canada (2005).

Almost 25,000 competitors are estimated to have participated in the Melbourne 2002 World Masters Games, which is more than double the number of athletes that were in the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. This huge difference is mainly attributed to the World Masters acceptance of people with varying abilities and ages. Read the rest of this entry »

With a triumphant win in the State of Origin on Wednesday night and having Queensland Day on this Saturday, Queenslanders definitely have a few reasons to celebrate.

To help those from up north celebrate being a Queenslander the Royal Australian Mint has released a stunning new coin which especially honours the 150th anniversary of self-government for Queensland.

On 6 June 1859 Queen Victoria signed Letters Patent separating Queensland from the colony of New South Wales. This date is now celebrated as Queensland Day. Read the rest of this entry »

Available from the Perth Mint is a beautiful new colored collection of $1 coins to Celebrate Australia. This set contains 8 individual $1 coins, which are also available for purchase separately.

The coins are as unique as the lands of Australia they represent. With an area roughly equivalent to the continental portion of the United States, or 50% larger than Europe, it is not surprising Australia would contain a diverse collection of landscapes and scenery worthy of striking on coins.

Each of the Celebrate Australia coin’s designs represents a different state or mainland territory of Australia on its’ reverse. These reverses are colored to accent the exquisitely crafted images of wildlife or landmarks of each region. Read the rest of this entry »

A collectable pure silver coin set launched by The Perth Mint has revived all but forgotten decimal designs produced more than 40 years ago. The coins portray the captivating artistry of Andor Mészáros (1900-1972), a leading contender in the Federal Government’s decimal coin design competition held in 1966.

The Melbourne-based sculptor and medallist proposed a thematically-linked series of wildlife designs portraying the black swan (20c), kookaburra (10c), platypus (5c), wattle (2c) and waratah (1c).

Competing against several artists, including Stuart Devlin, Andor’s artistry was ultimately unsuccessful in winning the competition. Yet, the Mint believed that many of its collectors would be fascinated by the tribute set, which provided a unique opportunity to admire and appreciate his significant contribution to Australian numismatics. Read the rest of this entry »

Offering the second coin in their Famous Battles series, The Perth Mint of Australia on Friday introduced the Battle of Cannae 216 BC 1 OZ Silver Proof Coin with a limited worldwide mintage of just 5,000. The Famous Battles series was launched with the Battle of Thermopylae 480BC coin, which met high demand and has already sold out.

The Battle of Cannae was a crushing defeat of the Roman army at the hands of Hannibal and his Carthaginian army. This battle would be the template of which many future commanders would strive to achieve. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II, once wrote: Read the rest of this entry »

The Perth Mint on Friday launched the 2009 Perth Mint Gold Proof Sovereign, a modern Australian version of a world famous coin. Struck in 22-carat gold and in proof quality for collectors, the newly introduced coin is to be issued annually with an extremely limited worldwide mintage of just 2,500.

The sovereign was a crucial component to the British commerce and banking system and has a history dating back to the 15th century. The Perth Mint was a part of that history, producing more than 100 million of the coins during the reigns of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V. Read the rest of this entry »

Australia’s first $1 coin turns 25 today and has become one of Australia’s most recognised coin designs.

In 1984 the ‘five kangaroos’ $1 coin design replaced the $1 note, adding another coin to Australia’s official decimal currency.

In preparation for the currency changeover, from note to coin, a variety of coin designs and shapes were considered including a seven-sided coin and a scalloped edge coin.

"Stuart Devlin, the Queen’s appointed goldsmith and jeweller, was invited to submit designs for the new $1 coin. His proposals featured Australian native fauna including a wombat, a penguin and the famous five kangaroos which are still used today," said Graham Smith, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint. Read the rest of this entry »

The Royal Australian Mint will launch the first coin in their new series titled Australia Remembers at the Royal College of Nursing, Australia’s International Nurses Day celebrations in Canberra tonight.  

The series pays tribute to past and present Australians who played important roles during times of war, conflict and peacekeeping. The first coin in this series honours past and present Australian Services nurses.

"Since the time of the Boer War, service nurses have contributed by caring for the sick and wounded in every conflict to which Australia has committed troops," said Graham Smith, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint.

"Whilst this coin has been made specifically for the Australia Remember series, I like to think it reminds everyone about the work that nurses do all around the world and realise how often they go unrecognised," said Mr Smith.

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Monetarium (Australia) Pty. Ltd. will be auctioning Australia’s most respected and valuable rare gold coin collection, known as the Quartermaster Collection, in what is expected to be the most prestigious numismatic event in this nation’s history.

Sydney, Australia — The famed Quartermaster Collection, containing many of Australia’s most valuable and highest quality gold coins, will be going to auction on the 4th of June 2009.

Featuring many of Australia’s rarest coins, this Auction will be unlike any other seen in this country. The collection of 344 items is an anthology of Australian gold currency, spanning 1852 to 1931.

Tony Richardson, a director of Monetarium (Australia) Pty Ltd, says, "It’s an extraordinary achievement to have assembled such a comprehensive collection of rare coins. I doubt it will ever be seen again."

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The Royal Australian Mint has released a new coin series titled Australia Remembers ahead of ANZAC Day which pays tribute to past and present Australians who played important roles during times of war, conflict and peacekeeping.

"It is fitting to release this new series today as the nation takes the time to reflect on and celebrate the enormous sacrifices made by our diggers and those people who have served and died for Australia," said Graham Smith, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint.

The first coin released in the Australia Remembers series honours past and present Australian Service nurses. Read the rest of this entry »