EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by authority of the Minister for Housing and Assistant Treasurer
Currency Act 1965
Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2021 Royal Australian Mint No. 2) Determination 2021
Subsection 13(2) and section 13A of the Currency Act 1965 (the Act) provide that the Treasurer may, by legislative instrument, determine details of Australian coin characteristics including denomination, standard composition, standard weight, allowable variation from standard weight, design and dimensions.
The purpose of this legislative instrument is to determine the characteristics of 12 new non-circulating coins proposed to be issued by the Royal Australian Mint.
The Treasurer may authorise the making and issuing of coins specified, or taken to be specified, in the Schedule to the Currency Act 1965. A payment of money is a legal tender if it is made in coins that are made and issued under the Currency Act 1965. Through the issue of a currency determination, the Treasurer can add, remove and alter the coin characteristics specified, or taken to be specified, in the Schedule to the Currency Act 1965.
In accordance with section 19 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, any Minister in the Treasury portfolio may, by legislative instrument, determine details of Australian coin characteristics.
Details of the legislative instrument are set out in the Attachment.
The legislative instrument commenced on the day after it was registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.
The legislative instrument is subject to disallowance under section 42 of the Legislation Act 2003.
Consultation
No public consultation was undertaken in relation to this legislative instrument. The effect of this instrument is to determine details of new Australian coin characteristics which will enable the Royal Australian Mint to continue its production of circulating and numismatic coins.
Members of the public have the opportunity to contact the Royal Australian Mint to present any themes they would like to see commemorated on Australian legal tender. These concepts are then researched and assessed in accordance with the Royal Australian Mint’s Coin Design Policy. The Royal Australian Mint also uses market based tools to identify interested parties and gauge interest in coin themes.
Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2021 Royal Australian Mint No. 2) Determination 2021
This Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.
Overview of the Legislative Instrument
The purpose of this legislative instrument is to determine the characteristics of 12 new non-circulating coins proposed to be issued by the Royal Australian Mint.
Human rights implications
This Legislative Instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.
Conclusion
This Legislative Instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.
ATTACHMENT
Details of the Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2021 Royal Australian Mint No. 2) Determination 2021
This Attachment sets out further details of the Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2021 Royal Australian Mint No. 2) Determination 2021 (the Determination).
Section 1 – Name
This section provides that the name of the Determination is the Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2021 Royal Australian Mint No. 2) Determination 2021.
Section 2 – Commencement
This section prescribes that the Determination commences the day after the Determination is registered.
Section 3 – Authority
This section provides that the Determination is made under the Currency Act 1965.
Section 4 – Schedule
This section provides that each instrument specified in a Schedule to the Determination is amended or repealed as set out in the Schedule.
Schedule 1 – Amendments
Schedule 1 amends the Currency (Australian Coins) Determination 2019 by adding the details of new coin characteristics and making technical amendments to ensure the Determination operates as intended. The newly determined coin characteristics are set out below.
New non-circulating coins
2021 20c Uncirculated Coin – 35th anniversary of Animalia
2021 20c Gold-Plated Uncirculated Coin – 35th anniversary of Animalia
The design on the 2021 Animalia coins consists of a coloured circular border surrounding a design based on cover art from the Australian children’s book Animalia (1986) by Graeme Base, author and illustrator, with a coloured strip of artwork on the left of the coin. The design includes the following inscriptions: “35th ANNIVERSARY OF ANIMALIA” and “20”.
Consistent with all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II” and “AUSTRALIA”, and the inscription, in numerals, of a year. The obverse design also includes the initials of the designer Jody Clark “JC”.
2021 30c AlBr Coloured Coin – 30 Years of the Wiggles – 1991
2021 30c AlBr Coloured Coin – 30 Years of the Wiggles – 1991 – Envelope Print
The design on the 30 Years of the Wiggles – 1991 coins consists of a pattern of stars and musical notes with The Wiggles logo superimposed over the pattern above a dividing curved line. Below the line is a stylised coloured representation of the original 1991 members of Australian children’s music group The Wiggles playing guitars, surrounded by a pattern of coloured stars and musical notes. The design includes the following inscriptions: “1991 – 2021” and “30”. The design on the envelope print coin includes a coloured envelope within the pattern of coloured stars and musical notes.
Consistent with all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II” and “AUSTRALIA”, and the inscription, in numerals, of a year. The obverse design also includes the initials of the designer Jody Clark “JC”.
2021 30c AlBr Coloured Coin – 30 Years of the Wiggles – 2021
2021 30c AlBr Coloured Coin – 30 Years of the Wiggles – 2021 – Envelope Print
The design on the 30 Years of the Wiggles – 2021 coins consists of a pattern of stars and musical notes with The Wiggles logo superimposed over the pattern below a dividing curved line. Above the line is a stylised coloured representation of the 2021 members of Australian children’s music group The Wiggles dancing, surrounded by a pattern of coloured stars and musical notes. The design includes the following inscriptions: “1991 – 2021” and “30”. On the envelope print coin, the design includes a coloured envelope within the pattern of coloured stars and musical notes.
Consistent with all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II” and “AUSTRALIA”, and the inscription, in numerals, of a year. The obverse design also includes the initials of the designer Jody Clark “JC”.
2022 50c Tetra-Decagon Uncirculated Coin – Year of the Tiger
The design on the 2022 Year of the Tiger coin consists of a stylised representation of a tiger standing on a rocky outcrop in the foreground with stylised representations of two pine trees in the background. The design includes the following inscriptions: “50”, the Chinese language character (虎) pronounced hŭ under the Pinyin system and meaning tiger, and “AS” (the initial of the designer, Aleksandra Stokic).
Consistent with all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II” and “AUSTRALIA”, and the inscription, in numerals, of a year. The obverse design also includes the initials of the designer Jody Clark “JC”.
2022 $1 Uncirculated Coin – Year of the Tiger
2022 $1 1/2oz Silver Uncirculated Ingot – Year of the Tiger
2022 $5 1oz Silver Proof Domed Coin – Year of the Tiger
2022 $100 1oz Gold Proof Domed Coin – Year of the Tiger
The design of the Year of the Tiger coins consists of a crescent shape which is partially obscured on its convex side by a stylised representations of a tiger standing on rocky ground with stylised pine tree branches in the background. The design includes the following inscriptions: the Chinese language character (虎) pronounced hŭ under the Pinyin system and meaning tiger, “YEAR OF THE TIGER” and “BK” (the initials of designer, Bronwyn King). The silver and gold domed coins also include the following inscription: “Xoz .999 Ag” and “Xoz .9999 Au” respectively (where “X” is the nominal weight in ounces of the coin, expressed as a whole number or a common fraction in Arabic numerals).
Consistent with all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II” and “AUSTRALIA”, the inscription, in numerals, of a year and Arabic numerals for the amount, in dollars or cents, of the denomination of the coin followed by “DOLLAR”, “DOLLARS” or “CENTS” as the case requires. The obverse design also includes the initials of the designer Jody Clark “JC”.
On the obverse of the silver ingot coin the effigy is surrounded by a stylised representation of pine tree branches and a rocky outcrop.
On the obverse of the silver and gold domed coins the effigy is surrounded by an ornamental border comprising stylised representations of splashing water. Immediately inside the rim of the coin is a border consisting of stylised representations of each of the following: a rat; a pig; a dog; a rooster; a monkey; a goat; a horse; a snake; a dragon; a rabbit; a tiger; and an ox.
2021 $5 5oz Silver Investment Coin – Redback Spider
The design on the 2021 $5 silver investment coin – redback spider consists of a representation of a red-back spider spinning a tangled web. The design also includes the following inscriptions: “REDBACK SPIDER” partially obscured by the spider’s legs, “X oz .999 SILVER” (where “X” is the nominal weight in ounces of the coin, expressed as a whole number or a common fraction in Arabic numerals) and “AWB” (the initials of the designer, Adam William Ball).
Consistent with all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II” and “AUSTRALIA”, the inscription, in numerals, of a year and Arabic numerals for the amount, in dollars or cents, of the denomination of the coin followed by “DOLLAR”, “DOLLARS” or “CENTS” as the case requires. The obverse design also includes the initials of the designer Jody Clark “JC”.