Australia is home to some amazing people and wildlife, so it’s no surprise that it produces
beautiful coins.
There are even some remarkable shapes, as well as designs.
But what does an Australian mean when they ask if you have any spare silver change?
And is a gold coin donation really as generous as it sounds?
This video is an introduction to coins currently in circulation in Australia, as well at a
glimpse at the world’s largest coin.
So are you ready for a currency crash course of current coins in this cosmopolitan commonwealth
country?
Let’s jump in.
Australia uses a decimal currency, with 1 dollar being equal to 100 cents.
A special mention here to the 1c and 2c coins which are no longer in use, because they have
next-to-no value.
Starting at the lowest value is the 5c coin.
The 5cent shows an adorably curled-up echidna surrounding the number 5.
Echidnas are common in wooded areas of Australia, and have a distinctive beak, spines, and lay
eggs.
This makes them 1 of only 2 egg-laying mammals, or monotremes, in the entire world.
Next is the 10c coin, which shows a lyrebird hiding behind its impressive tail plumage.
Lyrebirds are known for impersonating noises they hear, mostly songs from other birds,
but they are capable of impersonating human-created noises as well.
The 20c coin brings us to the second monotreme on earth, the platypus.
The coin depicts a platypus diving under the water.
Platypus are an elusive creature that were first thought-of as a myth by people back
in England after Australia became a British colony.
However, they are very real, and the male even has a poison spur with which to defend
himself.
Now comes the most fascinating of coins in Australian currency, the 50c coin.
The 50c coin shows the Australian coat of arms on its reverse side.
This includes a kangaroo, and emu, a shield and 7-pointed star for the states and territories
of Australia.
In the background is a wreath of golden wattle, the floral emblem of Australia.
The distinctive 50c coin is a dodecagon, a 12-sided shape.
With a diameter over 3cm, it is also one of the largest coins in the world currently in
common circulation, and the largest Australian coin by size, but not by value.
The Australian 1 dollar coin is gold in colour thanks to being made of 92% copper.
On the reverse side, it shows 5 kangaroos, the animal most synonymous with Australia,
but also that Australians love to eat.
The other coin made of 92% copper is the 2 dollar coin.
This coin is the only coin to not depict Australian wildlife and instead depicts an Aboriginal
Elder.
The 2 dollar coin is notable for being smaller than the 1 dollar coin, even though it has
twice the value.
In fact, it is a similar size to the 5c coin, the smallest circulating coin in Australia,
although it’s much thicker.
Australian coins are split into those with a silver appearance worth less than 1 dollar,
and those with a golden appearance, worth 1 dollar or more.
Australians commonly refer to these coin groups as ‘silver’ coins and ‘gold’ coins,
even though no silver or gold actually goes into their production.
But there is a coin in Australia that is made of real gold, in fact the largest coin in
the world.
In 2012, the Perth Mint unveiled the one-million dollar coin.
The coin is made of solid gold.
It weighs just over one metric tonne, has a diameter of 80cm and took 18months to complete.
Imagine a coin that weighs the same as a car.
The coin is actually legal tender, meaning that you could roll it down to the shops and
buy 1 million dollars’ worth of groceries.
Before doing that though, remember that more than 50 million dollars’ worth of gold went
into making this colossal coin.
So there you have it, a brief overview of Australia’s iconic coinage, including silver
coins, gold coins, and the largest coin in the world.
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