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. 4) 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 4 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. 4) 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 4 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. 4) Determination 2026
This Attachment sets out further details of the Currency (Australian Coins) Amendment (2026 Royal Australian Mint No. 4) 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. 4) 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 non-circulating coins
2027 50c Uncirculated Tetradecagon Coin – Year of the Goat
2027 50c ‘Envelope’ Privy Mark Uncirculated Tetradecagon Coin – Year of the Goat
The design on the 2027 50c uncirculated tetradecagon coins – year of the goat consists of, immediately inside the rim, an ornamental border, inspired by traditional Chinese knotting. In the foreground, there is a stylised representation of a goat standing on a pile of rocks. Partially obscured by the goat and partially obscuring the pile of rocks, there are stylised representations of three Narcissus tazetta plants (commonly known as Chinese sacred lily). Above the goat, there is a stylised representation of the Chinese language character (羊), pronounced yáng under the Pinyin system, and meaning goat. The design also includes the following inscription: “LA” (being the initials of the designer Lydia Ashe) in a stylised form. The ‘envelope’ privy mark coin also includes a stylised representation of an envelope.
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”, and 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”.
2026 $1 Uncirculated Coin – Origins of Australian Coin
The design on the 2026 $1 uncirculated coin – origins of Australian coin consists of, towards the centre of the coin, a representation of the reverse of the original 19th century Holey Dollar. In the foreground, partially obscuring the representation of the Holey Dollar, there is a representation of the obverse of the original 19th century Dump coin. At the bottom of the Holey Dollar, and to the left of the Dump coin, there is a representation of a ribbon curled around the flowers, buds and leaves of the Dahlia pinnata plant (commonly known as the dahlia), the floral emblem of Mexico. At the bottom of the representation of the Holey Dollar, and to the right of the Dump coin, there is a representation of a ribbon curled around the flowers, branches and leaves of an Acacia pycnantha plant (commonly known as golden wattle), the floral emblem of Australia. The design includes the following inscriptions: “ORIGINS OF AUSTRALIAN COIN”; and “EW” (being the initials of the designer Elyssa Waterford) 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, enclosed in a circle at the top of the coin, and together with the inscriptions “CHARLES III”, “AUSTRALIA”, the inscription, in Arabic numerals, of a year, and the denomination of the coin in words followed by “DOLLAR”, “DOLLARS” or “CENTS” as the case requires. The obverse design includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”. Towards the centre of the coin, partially obscured by the effigy, is a representation of the obverse of the original 19th century Holey Dollar.
2027 50c Coloured Uncirculated Coin – Celebrations
The design on the 2027 50c coloured uncirculated coin – celebrations consists of a stylised representation of a platypus. A combination of circles, tear drop shapes, and irregular shapes are incorporated into the representation of the platypus. Behind the platypus, a combination of tubular and irregular shapes are stacked horizontally. Surrounding the platypus, there are coloured tear drop shapes and circles. The design includes the following inscriptions: “50”; and “AWB” (being the initials of the designer Adam William Ball).
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”, and the inscription, in Arabic numerals, of a year. The obverse design includes the initials of the designer Dan Thorne “DT”.