Celebrating “the queen of people’s hearts” on her 60^th birthday

60 years have passed since the birth of the beloved “people’s princess” and a flurry of commemorations have been planned for this important milestone. We remember the vibrant woman who left her mark on so many lives, on what would have been Diana’s 60^th birthday on July 1^st.

The most poignant celebration is the installation of a statue in the garden of Kensington palace on July 1st by her sons William and Harry. Created by the artist Ian Rank-Broadley, the sculpture is said to recognise Diana’s “positive impact”. Famed for creating the iconic effigy of the queen that is found on British and Commonwealth coins – the choice of this artist is by no means inconsequential!

The unveiling of the statue could present an opportunity for the best post-humous gift Diana will receive on this significant occasion. Not the statue itself, but the opportunity for her sons to rekindle their brotherly bond, which has been plagued with rumour and speculation over “Megxit” and the separation inflicted by the COVID pandemic.

Diana’s London apartment will also receive a blue plaque from the charity English Heritage. A blue plaque traditionally marks spaces associated with noteworthy Brits, and Diana’s will be placed at her Coleherne Court flat to honour the late princess. Diana shared this flat with friends before her marriage to Charles, and fans of The Crown will recognise the building from season four when Diana announces her engagement to her friends.

A trailblazing English rose

Remembered for being so much more than a representative of The House of Windsor, Diana really was a woman ahead of her time. Taking life into her own hands and blazing her own path as a fashion icon, humanitarian and a remarkably compassionate human being.

Possessing buckets of charisma and drive, one cannot help but wonder what more she may have accomplished and who she may have been in 2021. She would, no doubt, have taken pride in her sons’ work with mental health and their continuation of her charitable legacy!

Her sons’ continuing work with The Royal Foundation would make Diana immensely proud of their concerted efforts to shatter the stigma around mental health by starting conversations - and they are leading by example! Both the Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex have discussed their own mental health challenges publicly in recent years (especially with respect to their mother’s untimely death). Through their mental health campaign, Heads Together, they hope to encourage people to talk openly about their experiences of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

Iconic status should not overshadow the very real person we honour today

Public interest in Diana remains high, particularly as we remember her on the occasion of her 60^th birthday. We should remember Diana not only as the woman who “stole the show” with iconic outfits, but also the very real person and her struggles. Significantly, only now, 26 years later, is the BBC being held to account over the Martin Bashir interview that had such dire consequences for Diana, her family and the monarchy.

How you can remember Diana this July…

Australia most certainly has its legions of Diana fans who will no doubt be looking for a way to commemorate her legacy on what would have been her 60^th Birthday.

If you’re looking for an exclusive limited edition keepsake for yourself, or a friend, why not consider a commemorative you can treasure forever? Downies Collectables is offering a tribute of immense beauty to mark the occasion of Diana’s 60^th birthday - an 99.9% pure silver-plated medallion featuring an enchanting full-colour portrait of the princess, available for a special pre-release price of just $10! Plus receive FREE delivery!

Click here to find out more.

 “I know that I can give love for a minute, for half an hour, for a day, for a month, but I can give. I am very happy to do that and I want to do that”

- Diana, Princess of Wales.

Our military history is a significant aspect of Australian culture. Australia’s involvement in wars of the past has shaped our way of life today.

From the men who stormed the banks of Gallipoli to those who fought in Vietnam - we owe a lot to the noble soldiers who made us the ‘lucky county’. Now more than ever, its critical we remember those who fought.

Remembrance Through Art

Jacqueline Hurley is the UK’s most prominent Remembrance Artist. Her powerful and poignant interpretations of military action, inform the atmospheric designs of the War Poppy Collection. Each work depicts a scene of war in tribute to our fallen soldiers and heroes in the Armed Forces.

Hurley manages to imbue powerful and emotional scenes of war with a sense of peace and calmness in this collection.

Macquarie Mint is proud to be featuring her works as part of the War Poppy Collection.

Subscribe Now and Pay Tribute to Our Fallen Soldiers

The War Poppy Collection depicts Jacqueline Hurley’s portraits on the reverse, reminding us that every day is Remembrance Day. Each commemorative is plated in genuine 24-carat gold and features precise enamel application, further enhancing the obverse design.

Subscribers will be able to enjoy each new release as it arrives at their door every month. Throughout your subscription, you will also receive two FREE presentation folders to showcase your collection.

Subscribe now and SAVE $20 plus receive FREE shipping on your first commemorative ‘Remember & Reflect’. Further releases are available at $39.95 per month, plus $12 P, H, I.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Lunar New Year festivities are just around the corner, taking place this year on Friday, 12 February.

Lunar New Year is a night of food, celebration, firecrackers and family.

2021 marks another Year of the Ox. The Ox is the second of all zodiac animals according to the Great Lunar Race legend. Typically, they showcase their talent through hard work and receive credit as deserved.

The Ox personality is said to be persistent – once they make a decision, they stay with it. If you’re friends with an Ox personality, you’re in luck! Oxen are known for their honesty and reliability. In the story of the Great Lunar Race, the Ox even agreed to carry the Rat on its back! They are viewed as honest, modest people who have natural leadership qualities. Creative and curious, Oxen tend to perform better in artistic fields.

In 2021, Ox personalities are advised to be proactive in order to avoid potential difficulties that may arise.

Start 2021 with the Lunar Fan-Shaped Collection

To help celebrate, Macquarie Mint has launched the Lunar Fan-Shaped Collection. The collection features 13 gold-plated, unique fan-shaped commemoratives, Each depicting a different Zodiac animal for each year in the lunar calendar.

Beginning with the Ox for just $24.95 (FREE Postage), subscribers will receive a new fan-shaped commemorative each month for the series price of $39.95 (Plus $12 Postage). The collection is presented in a custom timber case and finishes with the FREE centrepiece, the ‘Happy Buddha’!

Make an auspicious start to the Year of the Ox– Subscribe now at downies.com/lunarfan.

A chapter of Australian history is ending this year - with General Motors announcing the closure of the Holden brand for good. This is a devastating blow for car enthusiasts and the industry alike. Now, Macquarie Mint is launching the Holden Legacy Collection to remember the Australian legends.

Since the 1940s Holden has been raising the bar for Australian car manufacturing. Their desire to build ‘Australia’s Own Car’ resulted in the release of the ’48-215’ – simply known as the ‘Holden’.

Holden continued to produce a range of vehicles over the next 70 years. In that time, they released some of the most affordable high-performance cars on the market.

Generations of Australians have owned, driven, raced or modified a Holden. The good memories of most Australian’s involve a Holden or two.

Nine Commemorative Collection Honouring Holden

The 24-carat gold-plated commemoratives come housed in a FREE collection folder. Highly exclusive, the Holden Legacy Collection has a limited edition of just 10,000 collections worldwide. Officially licensed by Holden, this collection is a must-have for Holden fans! The Holden Legacy Collection features nine of the most iconic Holdens, with designs based on classic Holden advertising material.

Each medallion includes a free collector postcard, featuring the full design of the respective Holden Ad.

Some of the commemoratives feature… 

VFII Commodore Redline - The final vehicle to leave the Lion brand’s South Australian manufacturing line before production ceased. The most powerful Commodore ever, this car represents 39-years of Commodore manufacturing history.

HX Kingswood – Luxury and comfort at the right price! Owned by many families in the 70s, Gen Xers are likely to remember sitting in the back on family trips.

FJ Ute - A classic from the 1950s, the FJ Ute was considered an ‘all Australian car’. Many Aussies owned this as their first vehicle.

HK Monaro - Monaros have been in and out of production over the years. The original HK GTS featured the option of two Chevrolet V8s.

48-215 – ‘Australia’s Own Car’, produced in Fisherman’s Bend in 1948. The landmark car managed to wow everyone on launch day. Then PM, Ben Chifley, even exclaimed ‘She’s a beauty!’

Other featured Holdens can be viewed at downies.com/holden-legacy.

Subscribe Today and Save!

Subscribers will receive nine gold plated medallions at the rate of one per month. The first shipment is available at the special introductory price of only $29.95 with free delivery! Further monthly releases are available at the subscriber-only price of $59.95 each (Plus $12 postage, handling & insurance). Subscribers will also receive a free collectors presentation folder to store their complete collection in, plus free collector postcards. 

This is a collection that will be in high demand! For you Holden fanatics, this is a must-have collection to keep for generations. With such a limited mintage, you must act immediately to secure yours!

Buy now at downies.com/holden-legacy or call 1300 788 358.

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To honour Australia’s fallen and their families, the Royal Australian Mint has issued the first colour coin struck for circulation in Australia.

The coin features a colour poppy on the reverse, the accepted symbol of Remembrance Day and so used for the poppies that were the first plant to grow on the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium. This haunting image was so powerfully captured by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his poem In Flanders Fields, that it became the symbol of the blood shed by soldiers who have died in battle and is recognised around the world.

This coin is an historic tribute to those men and women who fell defending this country and its allies. It is also a poignant reminder of the role that Australia’s Armed Forces continue to play and is a fitting Remembrance Day commemoration.

Your chance to be involved in a significant part of Australia’s history … Twice.

This release has deep significance for all those who remember Australia’s fallen service men and women, or who have a connection to those who served. Not only does it have a strong historical significance, but this release also has deep numismatic importance.

The Royal Australian Mint has released three versions of the coin, each slightly different but ground-breaking. The non-colour commemorative release is, along-side its coloured counterpart, the first commemorative $2 ever to be issued into circulation.

The colour version of the circulation release is significant in two ways; it’s the first colour coin to ever be struck for circulation in Australia, and it has an unusual release channel. This version of the coin will be available at RSLs around the country in exchange for a donation, starting Remembrance Day.

The third type is a full colour, uncirculated commemorative coin with a unique ‘C’ mintmark, and is available now, here. Not only is this coin struck using the RAM’s state-of-the-art full-colour minting process, but it is presented in an official Mint display pack. It has already proven to be extremely popular among collectors for its numismatic and historic significance and is sure to be a valued collector’s item for years to come.

This is a coin that holds a deep and special significance for all Australians. So whether you buy the specially packaged commemorative edition of the coin, donate to your local RSL or find one of the circulating coins in your change, be sure to take a moment to admire this piece of Australian and numismatic history, and remember the fallen.

Visit your local RSL on Remembrance Day this November 11^th, or head to Downies.com to secure your piece of Australian history.

93 years on from the brutality and devastation which ultimately changed the fate of the globe, today we remember those who have lost their lives in the front line of war and armed conflicts.

Observed on November 11 throughout the Commonwealth nations, in 1918 at the “11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month” Germany signed the Armistice – a formal end to the extensive bloodshed that was World War I.

A significant date which sees Remembrance Day fall on 11.11.11, the Royal Australian Mint has issued a scalloped red poppy Uncirculated Coin in the honour of each of our fallen heroes. A symbol of hope and renewal following the ‘sacrifice of shed blood’, the poppy was the first plant to blossom throughout the war torn battlefields.

A fitting tribute to the ‘war to end all wars’, the 2011 $5 Remembrance Day Unc is now available at Downies.com.

Just hours after the highly anticipated arrival of HM Queen Elizabeth II in Australia for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) held in Perth – Downies is pleased to announce the newest Royal-themed issue from the Royal Australian Mint - the 2011 $5 Queen’s Visit Unc. As seen on TV, this truly unique tribute to Her Majesty features 16 St Edward’s Crowns – symbolising each of the Queen’s visits ‘down under’. Created by Mr Wojciech Pietranik, a renowned designer behind the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games medals, this 38.74mm coin has been approved by the Queen herself!

A fitting issue to mark this official event – when you purchase your 2011 $5 Queen’s Visit Unc at Downies, we are delighted to provide you with a FREE 2011 $1 CHOGM BU Coin!

The perfect pair issued in celebration of this bi-yearly event – be sure to visit to secure your next Royal Family tribute!

This month saw the release of the Royal Australian Mint’s annual Year Sets. As always, the inclusion of some exclusive coins has sparked the interest of collectors, not only in Australia, but also from around the globe. Following on from previous years, the RAM has kept up with appearances by releasing the 2010 versions of the ever popular Proof and Year sets, along with the extremely cute Baby Year Set (in both Proof and Mint quality), and the exquisite Wedding Set. However, it was more so the new 2010 Commemorative 2-Coin sets that attracted the attention of most!
Honouring one of Australia’s most famous missions of exploration, these new 2-coin sets commemorate the Burke & Wills Expedition of 1860.

The History…

Gold was discovered in Victoria in 1851 and the subsequent gold-rush led to a huge influx of migrants, as a result Melbourne was slowly populated with gold seekers which rapidly led to the growth of schools, churches, libraries and learned societies. This large influx of European settlers spurred an interest in inland exploration and in 1854 The Philosophical Institute of Victoria was founded. Naturally many of the European settlers at the time were intrigued as to how expansive Australia really was and with the forming of the Exploration Committee by the Philosophical Institute in 1857, the catalyst to map out and explore Australia was too strong to resist. As a natural progression, Burke and Wills were later chosen to lead the ‘Victorian Exploring Expedition’ and then in 1860 they led an expedition of 19 men to cross Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometers. At the time of their expedition most of the inland of Australia had not been explored by non-indigenous people and as a result was completely unknown to European settlers.

The expedition set off from Royal Park, Melbourne at about 4pm on 20th August 1860. The 19 men of the expedition included five Englishmen, six Irishmen, four Indian sepoys, three Germans and an American. They took twenty-three horses, six wagons and twenty-six camels. They had enough food to last them two years and ample amount of equipment fit for the expedition, however supplies were later left behind to lighten their load in the hopes they could increase their progress. Later in the expedition several men including second in charge George James Landells and the expedition’s surgeon, had all resigned. What was left of the expedition reached Menindee on October 12th, having taken two months to travel 750kms from Melbourne – the regular mail coach did the journey in little more than a week. By this time two of the expeditions five officers had resigned, thirteen members of the expedition had been fired and eight new men had been hired. Shortly after, Burke decided to split the group was he was concerned a rival explorer would beat him to the north coast and rob him of his title, and reward money which was offered by the South Australian Government.

They halved expedition continued their journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria after deciding not to wait for the hotter weather to pass. The south-north leg of the journey was successfully completed; however they were sadly stopped by swampland just 5 kilometers from the northern coastline. On their way north the weather had been hot and dry, but on the way back the wet season broke and the tropical monsoonal rains began. This is where things began to take a turn for the worse, with a camel having to be abandoned and three other camels having to be shot and eaten, with their only horse later shot. Equipment was abandoned at a number of locations as the number of pack animals was reduced.

To extend their food supply they ate from the bush, with Burke and some of the others immediately coming down with dysentery. Charles Gray was the first to die on April 17th. The expedition later made it back to Coopers Creek where Burke, Wills and King continued on to make an attempt back to Melbourne. Their remaining camels later died and without pack animals Burke, Wills and King were unable to carry enough water to make it across the Desert to Mt Hopeless. As a result the three men were forced to return to Coopers Creek to wait for rescue from a search party. The three men lived on bush tucker and food given to them by local aboriginals. Towards the end of June 1961 Burke and King decided to return upstream to see if a rescue party had arrived. Wills became too weak to continue and was left behind as his own insistence. Burke and King continued upstream for another two days until Burke became too weak to continue – the next morning he died. King stayed with his body for two days and then returned downstream where he found that Wills had also died. King was later found by a search party, in pitiful condition, living with the Yandruwandha. He survived the trip back to Melbourne and died eleven years later aged 33 having never recovered his health.

The Coins…

Available in Proof quality, these sparkling new sets from the RAM represent a fitting tribute to the 150th anniversary of the incredible achievements and great determination of the men who undertook this journey into the unknown. Sure to be hotly pursued by non-collectors, with Burke & Wills among Australia’s foremost ‘household names’, these sets are crucial to decimal collectors. The only way you can obtain the 20c and $1 Burke & Wills commemorative coins, with neither being issued for circulation and neither found in the 2010 Proof and Mint Sets, these new 2-coin presentations are essential to anyone keen to maintain a complete decimal collection.

• Official tributes to Burke & Wills Expedition 150th anniversary
• Available in both superb Proof quality
• Includes the one-year-only 2010 20c and $1 commemoratives!
• Housed in official, informative, attractive presentation packs
• Offered at the same affordable Official Issue Price as last year!

For more information or to purchase online, please click on the appropriate link:

2010 Burke and Wills 2-Coin Proof Set
Australia
North America

2010 Burke and Wills 2-Coin Unc Set
Australia
North America