EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by authority of the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Currency Act 1965
Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2025 Perth Mint No. 3) Determination 2025
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 4 new non-circulating coins proposed to be issued by The Perth 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.
The Determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2003. The Determination is not subject to sunsetting under the Legislation Act 2003 on the grounds that the instrument ensures economic certainty (see item 20 of the table in section 12 of the Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Regulation 2015). The instrument’s operation is integral in ensuring that the currency produced by the Mints becomes, and remains, legal tender unless or until returned to a mint to be taken out of circulation in accordance with the Currency Act 1965.
Consultation
The Perth Mint undertook consultation among its network of Australian and international wholesale distributors. Authorised Australian distributors of The Perth Mint products are consulted regularly during business meetings and participation at the Australian Numismatic Dealers’ Association Coin, Banknote and Stamp shows. Likewise, international distributors were consulted during a schedule of individual meetings hosted during the World Money Fair held in Berlin and the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money.
Limited consultation was conducted with external parties due to the confidentiality of coin themes and artwork, due to the risk of competitors viewing the innovations and potentially releasing similar coins into the market prior to the release.
Members of the public have the opportunity to contact The Perth Mint to present any themes they would like to see commemorated on Australian legal tender. These concepts are then researched and presented to The Perth Mint’s sales and marketing department for consideration and feedback.
Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2025 Perth Mint No. 3) Determination 2025
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 4 new non-circulating coins proposed to be issued by The Perth 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 (2025 Perth Mint No. 3) Determination 2025
Section 1 – Name
This section provides that the name of the Determination is the Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2025 Perth Mint No. 3) Determination 2025.
Section 2 – Commencement
This section prescribes that the Determination commences on the day after the Determination is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.
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. The newly determined coin characteristics are set out below.
50c 2026 1/2oz Silver FIFA World Cup Coloured Coin
The design on the 50c 2026 1/2oz silver FIFA World Cup coloured coin consists of a pattern of full and partial hexagon shapes representing one face of a soccer ball, and with each hexagon described by one of the following:
- the hexagon is coloured;
- the hexagon contains multi-coloured irregular shapes;
- the hexagon encloses a stylised representation of a kangaroo kicking a soccer ball surrounded by stylised lines representing movement;
- the hexagon encloses a stylised representation of wattle;
- the hexagon is empty; and
The design includes the following inscriptions: “FIFA WORLD CUP ™”; “2026”; “© FIFA TM”; “NM” (being the initials of the designer Natasha Muhl); and “P”.
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning sovereign appearing on the obverse side of all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of His Majesty King Charles III will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “CHARLES III”, “AUSTRALIA”, 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, and “Xoz 9999 Ag” (where “X” is the nominal weight in ounces of the coin, expressed as a whole number or a common fraction in Arabic numerals). The obverse design includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.
$1 2025 13.5g Base Metal Happy Birthday Coloured Coin
The design on the $1 2025 13.5g base metal Happy Birthday coloured coin consists of a coloured stylised representation of:
- a coloured stylised representation of a koala wearing a party hat and carrying a wrapped gift box; and
- a coloured stylised representation of a kangaroo wearing a party hat and carrying a stylised slice of cake with three lit candles; and
- a coloured stylised representation of an emu holding a wrapped gift box from its beak.
Surrounding the koala, kangaroo and emu is a coloured stylised representation of confetti. The design includes the following inscriptions: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”; the inscription, in Arabic numerals, of a year; “IJ” (being the initials of the designer Ing Ing Jong); and “P”.
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning sovereign appearing on the obverse side of all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of His Majesty King Charles III will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “CHARLES III”, “AUSTRALIA”, 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 includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.
$1 2025 1oz Silver Koala with Coloured Panda Privy Coin
The design on the $1 2025 1oz silver koala with coloured panda privy coin consists of a partial circle enclosing a representation of a koala nestled at the end of a leafy tree branch. The design includes the following inscriptions: “KOALA”; “Xoz 9999 SILVER” (where “X” is the nominal weight in ounces of the coin, expressed as a whole number or a common fraction in Arabic numerals); the inscription, in Arabic numerals, of a year; “AH” (being the initials of designer Aleysha Howarth); “P”; and a microscopic “P”. The design also includes a coloured representation of a panda sitting on the ground in front of bamboo, enclosed in a circle.
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning sovereign appearing on the obverse side of all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of His Majesty King Charles III will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “CHARLES III”, “AUSTRALIA”, 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 includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.
$100 2025 1oz Rose Gold Wedge-Tailed Eagle High Relief Enhanced Reverse Proof Coin
The design on the $100 2025 1oz rose gold wedge-tailed eagle high relief enhanced reverse proof coin consists of a circular border immediately inside the rim that is partially obscuring a stylised representation of an eagle standing on the ground with its wings outstretched. The design includes the following inscriptions: “AUSTRALIAN WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE”; the inscription, in Arabic numerals, of a year; “Xoz ROSE GOLD” (where “X” is the nominal weight in ounces of the coin, expressed as a whole number or a common fraction in Arabic numerals); “JM” (being the initials of the designer John Mercanti); and “P”.
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning sovereign appearing on the obverse side of all Australian legal tender coinage, an effigy of His Majesty King Charles III will appear on the obverse side of the coin together with the inscriptions “CHARLES III”, “AUSTRALIA”, 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 includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.