Coins of the Australian dollar - Wikipedia Coins of the Australian dollar Coins of the Australian dollar were introduced on 14 February 1966, although they did not at that time include one - dollar or two - dollar coins. The dollar was equivalent in value to 10 shillings in the former currency ( half of a pound ). Contents 1 Regular coinage 1.1 Table 2 Commemorative coins 3 Collectable coins 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References and further reading Regular coinage Play media ' Design of the new decimal currency ' first broadcast by the ABC in 1964. The circular 1966 fifty - cent coin. Produced by the Royal Australian Mint, all current coins portray Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the obverse, with the present effigy having been designed by Ian Rank - Broadley. This is matched with designs by the Australian - born artist Stuart Devlin on the reverse. They now comprise 50 ¢, 20 ¢, 10 ¢ and 5 ¢ coins -- all still referred to as ' silver ' though actually 75 % copper and 25 % nickel, and for many years there were also `` bronze '' 2 ¢ and 1 ¢ coins. The 50 ¢ coin originally had a circular shape, and contained 80 % silver and 20 % copper, so that the material of the coin was worth more than 50 ¢. It was made to almost identical dimensional specifications as the British 2'6 pence half crown. However, to avoid confusion among the round coins, and because of its excess value, it was only produced for one year then withdrawn from circulation ; there were no 50 - cent coins minted for 1967 or 1968. It was changed to a 12 - sided shape for 1969 and all following years, but the 12 - sided issue was minted as a specimen piece in 1966 -- 67 to test the design. It has since been issued in both standard and commemorative designs. The standard designs on both versions of the coin are the same : the obverse carries the effigy of the sovereign, and the reverse shows the Coat of Arms of Australia. The dodecagonal version has a mass of 15.55 g and a diameter of 31.5 mm, and the round silver version has a mass of 13.28 g and diameter of 31.5 mm. 94.13 Australian 1966 round 50 ¢ coins make up a fine kilogram of silver. `` Gold '' one - dollar and two - dollar coins were introduced in the 1980s. The one - dollar coin was introduced in 1984, to replace the banknote of the same value. The two - dollar coin, also replacing a banknote, was introduced in 1988. These have content of 2 % nickel, 6 % aluminium and 92 % copper. Thus, all Australian coins in use currently are composed of more than half copper. The two - dollar coin is smaller in diameter than the one - dollar coin, but the two - dollar is slightly thicker. The one - and two - cent coins were discontinued in 1991 due to the metal exceeding face value and were withdrawn from circulation. Australian coins have medallic orientation, as do most other Commonwealth coinage, Japanese yen coinage, and euro coinage. This is in contrast to coin orientation, which is used in United States coinage. Table Australian coins Image Value Technical parameters Description Date of first minting Diameter Thickness Weight Composition Edge Obverse Reverse 1 ¢ ( no longer used as of 1991 ) 17.65 mm > 1.4 mm 2.60 g 97 % copper 2.5 % zinc 0.5 % tin Plain Queen Elizabeth II Feathertail glider 1966 2 ¢ ( no longer used as of 1991 ) 21.59 mm < 1.9 mm 5.20 g Frill - necked lizard 5 ¢ 19.41 mm 1.3 mm 2.83 g Cupronickel 75 % copper 25 % nickel Milled Queen Elizabeth II Echidna 1966 10 ¢ 23.60 mm 2.0 mm 5.65 g Superb lyrebird 20 ¢ 28.65 mm 2.5 mm 11.3 g Platypus 50 ¢ Dodecagon 31.65 mm ( across flats ) 2.5 mm 15.55 g Plain Coat of arms 1969 $1 25.00 mm 3.0 mm 9.00 g 92 % copper 6 % aluminium 2 % nickel Interrupted milled Queen Elizabeth II Five kangaroos 1984 $2 20.50 mm 2.8 mm 6.60 g Aboriginal elder These images are to scale at 2.5 pixels per millimetre. For table standards, see the coin specification table. Effigy of Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin displayed on coins minted in 1966. Commemorative coins Main article : Australian commemorative coins Many special versions of the 20 ¢, 50 ¢, $1 and $2 coins have been produced, with imagery representing an event replacing the usual design on the reverse side of the coin. For some years, all the coins are replaced with a different design for that year. In other cases, only a few coins have the new design, which are released as special commemorative coins, although many usually end up in circulation. In 2012, a commemorative $2 coin was produced depicting a poppy for Remembrance Day and in 2013, a coloured purple coin for the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II 's coronation. In 2016 a commemorative 25 ¢ coin was produced for Anzac Day with four million coins minted. In 2016, to celebrate 50 years of decimal currency, a commemorative design for the tails of the coins was released. Collectable coins The Royal Australian Mint regularly releases collectable coins, one of the most famous of which is the gold two - hundred - dollar coin. Australian collectable coins are all legal tender and can be used directly as currency or converted to `` normal '' coinage at a bank. Metals include aluminium bronze, silver, gold and bi-metal coins. Nugget coins are issued in ounces and fractions or kilograms and come in gold and platinum, some are denominated in dollars, and others by their weight value. See also List of people who have appeared on Australian currency Coins of the New Zealand dollar Swedish rounding Notes Jump up ^ A guide to Australian decimal coins, 20 April 2017 Jump up ^ coin designs and what we make, Royal Australian Mint, archived from the original on 11 February 2014 Jump up ^ frequently asked questions, Royal Australian Mint, archived from the original on 11 February 2014 Jump up ^ Pitt 2000, pp. 90 -- 100. Jump up ^ Pitt 2000, pp. 101 -- 109. References and further reading Krause, Chester L. ; Clifford Mishler ( 2003 ). 2004 Standard Catalog of World Coins : 1901 -- Present. Colin R. Bruce II ( senior editor ) ( 31st ed. ). Krause Publications. ISBN 0873495934. Pitt, Ian W. ( 2000 ), Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values ( 19th ed. ), Chippendale, N.S.W. : Renniks Publications, ISBN 978 - 0 - 9585574 - 4 - 3 Cruzi 's Coins Australian Commonwealth Coinage, 21 April 2009, archived from the original on 8 December 2013 Australia 's first coins, State Library of NSW, archived from the original on 2 February 2014 Australian Decimal Currency, archived from the original on 27 December 2012 about reverse designs, Royal Australian Mint, archived from the original on 11 February 2014 Internet FAQ, Royal Australian Mint, archived from the original on 5 September 2008 Australian currency Decimal coins 1c 2c 5c 10c 20c 50c ( round ) $1 $2 Coins of the $ Commemorative coins Decimal notes $1 $2 $5 $10 $20 $50 $100 Banknotes of the $ Pre-decimal coins ​ ⁄ d 1d 3d 6d 1s 2s 5s Pre - £ coins Coins of the £ Pre-decimal notes 5s 10s £ 1 £ 5 £ 10 £ 20 £ 50 £ 100 £ 1000 Mints Sydney Mint ( 1855 -- 1926 ) Melbourne Mint ( 1872 -- 1967 ) Perth Mint ( 1899 -- ) Royal Australian Mint ( 1965 -- ) Topics Australian dollar Australian pound ( obsolete ) Banknotes of the Australian pound ( obsolete ) Note Printing Australia Pound sterling ( obsolete ) Reserve Bank of Australia Economy of Australia History Economic history Great Depression Snowy Mountains Scheme Australian pound Four pillars policy Banking crisis of 1893 Currency Australian dollar State economies NSW Queensland Western Australia Tasmania Industries Agriculture Automotive Fishing Insurance Manufacturing Mining Real estate Telecommunications Tourism Transport Ports Superannuation Wine Taxation Goods and Services Tax Minerals Resource Rent Tax Passenger Movement Charge Fuel taxes Luxury Car Tax Tax return Banking and Finance Financial system Official cash rate Banking Regulatory agencies Reserve Bank ACCC Corporate law AIRC APRA ASIC ASX S&P / ASX 50 S&P / ASX 200 Corporations power Energy Energy policy of Australia Energy efficiency rating Biofuel Wind power Geothermal power National Electricity Market Green electricity Carbon pricing Economic conditions Income in Australia Wealth in Australia Poverty in Australia Economic inequality in Australia Social class in Australia Home ownership Property bubble Government debt Unions Labour movement ACTU Trade agreements Australia -- United States FTA Australia -- Chile FTA Australia -- New Zealand FTA China -- Australia FTA Japan -- Australia FTA Australia -- Korea FTA Trans - Pacific Partnership Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coins_of_the_Australian_dollar&oldid=826326316 '' Categories : Decimal coins of Australia Coins of Australia Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from December 2013 Use Australian English from December 2013 All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 18 February 2018, at 14 : 05. 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Question: when did the one dollar coin come out in australia
Answer: 1984