Decimal currency has been in use in Australia for 38 years. Collecting decimal coins has become very popular. Circulation coins and
non-circulation Mint set only coins are released each year by the Royal
Australian Mint.
Coins are released into circulation based on demand.
If there is little or no demand for a certain denomination then that coin’s
mintage is adjusted accordingly. This could result in either a reduced mintage
or not being minted at all. For example, with an excess of 10 cent coins in
circulation in 1995 it was not necessary to produce more for that year. This was
still the case in 1996 and in 1997 only 5,699,000 coins were issued to cater for
that year’s demand.
Each year’s circulation coins are always produced for
inclusion in that year’s uncirculated coin set. The difficulty for decimal coin
collectors is that when a coin is not issued into general circulation they must
purchase the full uncirculated coin set in order to obtain the individual coin
that they want. Quite often collectors don’t realise this and spend years
looking for a coin that was not circulated. Some of the mint set only coins can
be quite difficult to obtain with a price to match.
To make it easier for you to identify which coins were
not issued into general circulation we have put together a quick reference.
| $2.00 Coin |
Issued - 1988 to current
Issued Mint Set only - 1991 |
| $1.00 Coin |
Issued - 1984 to current
Issued Mint Set only - 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991
General circulation $1 coins that were not Kangaroo design were the 1986 Peace, 1988 Bicentenary, 1993 Water is Life, 1994 both the standard Kangaroo design and the Decade of the Dollar design were issued, 1996 Henry Parkes, 1997 Kingsford Smith Plane, 1999 Year of the Older Persons, 2001 Federation, 2001 Year of the Volunteer, 2002 Year of the Outback, 2003 Centenary of Womens Suffrage, 2003 Celebrating Volunteers, 2005 Dancing Man, 2007 APEC, 2008 Centenary of Scouting, 2009 Centenary of aged Pension and 2010 Centenary of Girl Guides.
The following $1 coins were issued in Mint packs from the Royal Australian Mint or various Coin Fairs and Shows with most including a Mintmark.
1992 Barcelona - no mintmark
1993 Landcare - C S M
1994 Decade of the Dollar - C S M
1995 Waltzing Matilda - C S M B
1996 Henry Parkes - C S M B A
1997 Kingsford Smith - C S M B A
1998 Howard Florey - C S M B A
1999 Last ANZACS - C S M B A
2000 HMAS II - C S
2000 Olymphilex - C S
2000 Victoria Cross - no mintmark
2001 Army - C S
2001 Air force - no mintmark
2001 Navy - no mintmark
2002 Year of the Outback - C S M B
2003 Vietnam Veterans - no mintmark
2003 Korean War - C S B M
2004 Eureka Stockade - C S B E M
2005 90th Anniversary of Gallipoli - C S B M G
2006 100 Years of Television C S B M TV
2006 Commonwealth Games M
2006 Ocean Series - Clownfish and Bottlenose Dolphin
2007 Sydney Harbour Bridge C S B M
2007 Ocean Series - Biscuit Starfish, Longfin Bannerfish, White Shark and Big Belly Seahorse
2007 Australian Peacekeepers
2007 Lunar year of the Pig
2007 Ashes Series
2007 International Polar Year
2008 Centenary of the Australian Coat of Arms C S B M
2008 Lunar year of the Rat
2008 Centenary of Rugby League
2008 Centenary of Quarantine
2008 Inspirational Australians - Mary MacKillop
2008 Land Series - Koala and Wombat
2009 Australian Citizenship C S B M
2009 Land Series - Echidna, Rock Wallaby, Frilled Neck Lizard and Bilby
2009 Master Mintmark None and C. The C were only struck (counterstamped) during the weekend of the re-opening of the refurbished mint.
2009 Lunar year of the Ox
2009 Inspirational Australians - Steve Irwin
2010 100 Years of Commonwealth Coinage C S B M. Available in CSBM 4 coin pack and C only from the Visitor Gallery at the RAM.
2010 Lunar year of the Tiger
2010 Inspirational Australians - Fred Hollows
PNCs
1999 Older Persons
2000 Last ANZACS - ONLY available in PNC
2000 Victoria Cross
2001 Centenary of the Army
2007 Sydney Harbour Bridge
2007 ASHES
2007 Bounding Kangaroos - ONLY available in PNC
2008 100 Year of Quarantine
2009 Australia Post Bicentenial - ONLY available in PNC
Mint and Baby Sets and not into circulation
2007 Lifesavers - Proof set ONLY
2007 Norman Lindsay
2008 Norman Lindsay
2008 Internation Year of Planet Earth
2009 Dorothy Wall
2009 Year of Astronomy
2010 150th Anniversary of Burke and Wills
2010 Dorothy Wall
|
| 50 cent coin |
Issued - 1966 to current
Issued Mint Set only Coat of Arms - 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992
The 50 cent coin was not issued at all in 1967 and 1968.
The general circulation 50 cent coins that were not the coat of arms design are the 1970 Captain Cook, 1977 Jubilee, 1981 Royal Wedding, 1982 Commonwealth Games, 1988 Bicentenary, 1991 25th anniversary of decimal currency, 1994 Year of the Family, 1995 Weary Dunlop, 1998 Bass & Flinders, 2000 Millennium, 2000 Royal Visit, 2001 Federation as well as 9 different State and Territory issues, 2002 Year of the Outback, 2003 Celebrating Volunteers, 2004 Student Design was issued as a circulation coin as well as in a pack from the RAM, 2005 Rememberance, 2005 Student Design, 2010 Australia Day.
PNCs
1994 International Year of the Family
1995 End of WW2 Anniversary
1998 Bass and Flinders
2002 Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee - ONLY available in PNC and boxed Silver Proof
2003 Coronation Golden Jubilee struck in aluminium/bronze - ONLY available in PNC and boxed Silver Proof.
2005 World Heritage - Coat of Arms 50c and Great Britain 50p. Packaged by the Royal Mint and only available in this PNC
2008 Centenary of Scouting
Presentation Card
2004 Student Design - also as a circulation issue
2006 Student Design
2006 Commonwealth Games, Basketball, Hockey, Shooting, Weight Lifting, Badminton, Gymnastics, Rugby Sevens, Cycling, Athletics, Triathlon, Netball, Table Tennis, Aquatice, Boxing, Lawn Bowls and Squash
2006 Queens Birthday and Royal Visit - also in selective gold plated Silver Proof
2007 Royal Diamond Wedding
2008 Centenary of Scouting
2008 Australia IIs Victory
2009 Moon Landing
|
| 20 cent coin |
Issued - 1966 to current
Issued Mint Set only - 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
In 1995 there was both a platypus 20 cent and a United Nations commemorative issue. In 2001 as well as the standard platypus design there was the Don Bradman issue, and the 9 Federation State and Territory issues. 2003 Celebrating Volunteers, 2005 60th Anniversary World War 2.
In 1983 20 cent coins were minted for circulation but due to being no demand for them they were melted down and have now become scarce to find, other than in Mint Sets.
PNCs
2007 Surf Lifesaver
Mint and Proof Sets and not into circulation
2007 Surf Lifesaver
2008 Internation Year of Planet Earth - 6 coin Unc Set and 2 coin Proof Set
2009 Year of Astronomy - 6 coin Unc Set and 6 coin Proof Set
2010 Burke and Wills - 2 coin Unc Set and 2 coin Proof Set
Presentation Card
2009 Australia Remembers - Nursing
2010 Australia Remembers - Soldiers of Fromelles
|
| 10 cent coin |
Issued - 1966 to current
Issued Mint Set only - 1986, 1987, 1995, 1996 |
| 5 cent coin |
Issued - 1966 to current
Issued Mint Set only - 1985, 1986 |
| 2 cent coin |
Issued - 1966 to 1991
Issued Mint Set only - 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 2006 both Mint and Proof set |
| 1 cent coin |
Issued - 1966 to 1991
Issued Mint Set only - 1986, 1991, 2006 both Mint and Proof set |
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