The Royal Australian Mint is now offering the 2009 $1 Inspirational Australian Steve Irwin Uncirculated Coin. This coin is the second in a series of Inspirational Australians that last year featured Mary MacKillip, who was beatified by Pope John Paul I in 1995.

Steve Irwin was a well-known celebrity who met an untimely fate in 2006. Host of the popular Crocodile Hunter series, Irwin was enthusiastically supportive of Australia’s wildlife.

His parents started the Australia Zoo and Irwin grew up around exotic creatures. He is attributed with wresting with his first crocodile at the age of nine. Not content with merely putting on a show, Irwin was adamant about educating the public about wildlife as well. Read the rest of this entry »

The Royal Australian Mint is holding a September Spring Cleaning Collector Auction, marking the first time it has held such an event.

Set for September 12, 2009, the auction will occur at the Mint’s location on Denison Street in the Deakin suburb of the Australian Capital Territory. Registration for the event will start at 2:30 PM and continues until 3:10 PM.

The auction itself is set to begin promptly at 3:15 PM.Only registered bidders will be allowed to participate.

The items slated to be sold make up quite an eclectic collection; from multiple coins to framed posters to information panels. Read the rest of this entry »

Forty years ago today mankind made history with the famous first step on the Moon. In 1969 the Royal Australian Mint made its own history with the issue of the new dodecagonal 50 cent coin.

At a commemorative Apollo 11 anniversary event in Canberra today the Mint officially launches its brand new 50 cent collector coin to celebrate the historic moon landing in 1969.

"Taking the first step on a celestial body is arguably one of the human race’s greatest achievements of all time," said Graham Smith, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint.

"Some of the first pictures from the Moon’s surface were sent around the world from Honeysuckle Creek near Canberra and the Royal Australian Mint is proud to officially launch its newest coin to celebrate this occasion," said Mr Smith. 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 »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

In the first release from the new Australia Remembers series, the Royal Australian Mint has introduced the Australian Services Nurses 20c Uncirculated Coin.

The commemorative coin design, by W. Pietranik, portrays a wounded "Aussie Digger" (Australian soldier) comforted and nursed back to health.

Military nursing in Australia was established in 1899. In January 1900 fourteen nurses set off from Sydney for the Boer War. Australian Services Nurses have since served in both world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bougainville, East Timor, and most recently in the Gulf and Afghanistan conflicts. Read the rest of this entry »

For a number of years Cricket ACT has been using the same coin in the coin toss at the Prime Minister’s XI cricket match in Canberra. This year will be different.

The coin tossed today is a collectible from the Royal Australian Mint and celebrates what would have been Sir Donald Bradman’s greatest century of all, his 100th birthday.

"It is a great pleasure to see the coin being used in such a monumental event," Royal Australian Mint’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Graham Smith said.

"Most people at the PM’s XI would agree that Sir Donald Bradman is a true inspiration to all sportsmen and he played an important role in the development of the game and shaping this nation."

The collectible coin was released in July 2008 in partnership with the Bradman Foundation and depicts The Don giving the crowd his customary salute after scoring a century. Read the rest of this entry »

Senator Nick Sherry, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law and Royal Australian Mint, has announced that the nation’s newest citizens affirmed in Canberra on Australia Day will receive a special new citizenship anniversary coin.

"It is a fitting day to congratulate new citizens with a collectible coin which marks the 60th Anniversary of Australian Citizenship."

"In releasing this coin, the Government and the Royal Australian Mint acknowledge the importance of Australian citizenship and the more than four million people who have taken part in the affirmation ceremony."

"Citizenship promotes a sense of belonging, a chance to make a commitment to Australia and its values and to share the role of building Australia and its future," Minister Sherry said. Read the rest of this entry »