Do you have the 2012 Remembrance Day Colour $2 coin in your collection? Or maybe the 2013 Coronation Colour $2 coin, with its purple border and crown? What about the 2017 Lest We Forget $2 coin, with its multi-coloured design inspired by the Australian War Memorial’s Hall of Memory?
Collecting Australian $2 coins is a very popular pastime, largely thanks to the Royal Australian Mint’s excellent circulating releases.
But the RAM has just taken this to the next level.
In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the $2 coin, Australia’s national mint has just released the ultimate gift to collectors: a set of TWELVE 2018-dated $2 coins, featuring some of the most-loved designs from its past!
We take a look at the set – and how it all began.
So long, two dollar note!
In 1988, the two dollar note was given the sack.
It had lasted since the birth of Decimal Currency in 1966, but its days had been numbered from the beginning. It was made of paper, relatively flimsy and frequently circulated, causing plenty of wear and tear.
In its place was a new $2 coin, with a special design by sculptor Horst Hahne. Apart from an updated version without Hahne’s initials in 1990, this design was the only $2 coin in circulation for a very long time.
But this was all set to change.
Blazing the trail
The Royal Australian Mint introduced not one, but two different $2 types in 2012. Both honoured Remembrance Day – and in a first for circulating Australian coins, one of them used colour!
The 2012 $2 Remembrance Day colour Uncirculated coin was a huge success. With its vivid, red poppy motif, collectors eagerly snapped it up. It was virtually hoarded out of circulation.
And so began an impressive $2 series. We saw new, colour $2 issues like the 2013 $2 Coronation coin, and inventive spins on old classics like the 2016 $2 Decimal Changeover design. Each release, like the last, was all but hoarded out of circulation. This made it increasingly difficult for new collectors to come across these coins in their change.
That’s why the new collection from the RAM is going to put a lot of smiles on people’s faces.
30th Anniversary of the Two Dollar Coin - 2018 $2 Twelve-Coin Colour Aluminium-Bronze Uncirculated Set
All twelve coins in this set pair much-loved designs with 2018 dates. They’re all crafted to a higher standard than you’d find in change.
But the most exciting aspect is due to the unique combination of new date with old design. Ten of these coins are exclusive to the set – so you won’t find them anywhere else.
Our tip? Don’t bank on receiving a 2018-dated $2 Coronation Coin when you pay for your coffee!