EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by authority of the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Currency Act 1965
Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2026 Royal Australian Mint No. 3) Determination 2026
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 1 new circulating coin and 6 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.
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
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 policies. 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 (2026 Royal Australian Mint No. 3) Determination 2026
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 1 new circulating coin and 6 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 (2026 Royal Australian Mint No. 3) Determination 2026
This Attachment sets out further details of the Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2026 Royal Australian Mint No. 3) Determination 2026 (the Determination).
Section 1 – Name
This section provides that the name of the Determination is the Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2026 Royal Australian Mint No. 3) Determination 2026.
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. The newly determined coin characteristics are set out below.
New circulating coins
2026 $2 Coloured Circulating Coin – Last Post
The design on the 2026 $2 coloured circulating coin – Last Post consists of a central circle containing a coloured pattern of concentric circles graduating from shades of orange to purple (moving from the centre of the coin outwards). To the left of the central circle, there is a stylised representation of a soldier in uniform, standing and facing right, holding and playing a bugle. Partially obscured by the soldier and central circle, there is a stylised outline of a war memorial surrounded by a textured pattern. In the bottom half of the coin, and partially obscuring the textured pattern, there is a stylised outline of steps ascending to the right. In the top half of the coin surrounding the central circle, and partially obscured by the war memorial and soldier, there is a representation of two musical staves with notes forming two concentric semicircles, representing a section of the musical score of the military bugle call known as the ‘Last Post’. The design includes the following inscriptions: “THE LAST POST”; “REMEMBRANCE”; and “LA” (being the initials of the designer Lydia Ashe) in a stylised form.
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning monarch 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”, the inscription, in Arabic numerals, of a year, and Arabic numerals for the amount, in dollars or cents, of the denomination of the coin, followed by “DOLLARS”, “DOLLAR” or “CENTS” as the case requires. The obverse design includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.
New non-circulating coins
2026 $2 ‘C’ Mintmark Coloured Uncirculated Coin – Last Post
2026 $2 ‘C’ Mintmark Coloured Fine Silver Proof Coin – Last Post
The design on the 2026 $2 coloured coins – Last Post consists of a central circle containing a coloured pattern of concentric circles graduating from shades of orange to purple (moving from the centre of the coin outwards). To the left of the central circle, there is a stylised representation of a soldier in uniform, standing and facing right, holding and playing a bugle. Partially obscured by the soldier and central circle, there is a stylised outline of a war memorial surrounded by a textured pattern. In the bottom half of the coin, and partially obscuring the textured pattern, there is a stylised outline of steps ascending to the right. In the top half of the coin surrounding the central circle, and partially obscured by the war memorial and soldier, there is a representation of two musical staves with notes forming two concentric semicircles, representing a section of the musical score of the military bugle call known as the ‘Last Post’. The design includes the following inscriptions: “THE LAST POST”; “REMEMBRANCE”; “LA” (being the initials of the designer Lydia Ashe) in a stylised form; and the letter “C” (denoting the place of minting, Canberra) in a stylised form.
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning monarch 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”, the inscription, in Arabic numerals, of a year, and Arabic numerals for the amount, in dollars or cents, of the denomination of the coin, followed by “DOLLARS”, “DOLLAR” or “CENTS” as the case requires. The obverse design includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.
2027 $1 Uncirculated Coin – Year of the Goat
2027 $5 1oz Fine Silver Proof Domed Coin – Year of the Goat
2027 $100 1oz Gold Proof Domed Coin – Year of the Goat
The design on the 2027 Year of the Goat coins consists of a crescent shape partially obscured on the convex side by a stylised representation of a goat, facing right, standing on rocky ground. Above, and partially obscured by the goat, there is a stylised representation of a branch of a persimmon tree, adorned with leaves and fruit. Within the crescent shape, there is the Chinese language character (羊), pronounced yáng under the Pinyin system and meaning goat. The design includes the following inscriptions: “YEAR OF THE GOAT”; and “BS” (being the initials of the designer Bronwyn Scott). The proof domed coins also include the inscription “Xoz .999 Ag” or “Xoz .9999 Au” as the case requires (where “X” is the nominal weight in ounces of coin, expressed as a whole number or a common fraction in Arabic numerals).
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning monarch 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 coins together with the inscriptions “CHARLES III”, “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 includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.
On the obverse side of the proof domed coins, the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III is enclosed in a central circle. Surrounding the central circle is an ornamental border comprising stylised representations of splashing water and, immediately inside the rim of the coin, a stylised representation 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. The animal that relates to the relevant zodiac year appears at the top of the coin.
2026 50c ‘C’ Privy Mark Uncirculated Coin – Centenary of the Birth of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The design on the 2026 50c ‘C’ Privy Mark Uncirculated Coin – Centenary of the Birth of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II consists of a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the centre of the coin. Above the portrait, there is the Royal cypher of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II surmounted with St Edward’s Crown. To the left of the portrait, there is a stylised representation of the badge of the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Surrounding the portrait are stylised representations of roses, myrtle, lily of the valley, and golden wattle flowers and sprigs. Intertwined in the flowers and sprigs, there are stylised representations of the following:
- two theatrical masks (Thalia and Melpomene); and
- a corgi; and
- a horse; and
- a painter’s palette.
The design includes the following inscriptions: “CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II”; “AS” (being the initials of the designer Aleksandra Stokic); and the letter “C” enclosed in a square.
Consistent with the tradition of an effigy of the reigning monarch 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 coins together with the inscriptions “CHARLES III”, “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 includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.