Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au F2008B00106 In force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Commonwealth of Australia

Currency Act 1965

Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994

I, PAUL ELLIOTT, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, acting for the Treasurer, make the following Determination under the Currency Act 1965.

Dated 19 December 1994.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer

Citation

1. This Determination may be cited as Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994.

Commencement

2. This Determination commences on 21 December 1994.

Application of the Determination

3. This Determination does not affect any other determination of the specifications or design of a coin.

Specifications and design of a 50 cent coin

4. (1) This clause sets out the specifications and design of a coin of the denomination of 50 cents the standard composition of which includes copper and nickel.

(2) The shape of the coin is dodecahedral.

94M273, 14/12/94. 3:03 PM

Federal Register of Legislative Instruments F2008B00106

(3) The edge of the coin is plain.

(4) The standard weight of the coin is 15.55 grams.

(5) A variation of 0.40 grams from the standard weight is allowed.

(6) The diameter of the coin is 31.65 millimetres.

(7) The thickness of the coin is 2.80 millimetres.

(8) The obverse of the coin bears:

(a) an effigy of the Queen; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995"

(9) The reverse of the coin bears:

(a) an effigy of Sir Edward ('Weary') Dunlop against a background representation of barbed wires; and

(b) the inscriptions "THEY SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN WORLD WAR II 1939 - 1945", "'WEARY' DUNLOP" and "50".

Specifications and design of a $1 coin

5. (1) This clause sets out the specifications and design of a coin of the denomination of $1 the standard composition of which includes copper, aluminium and nickel.

(2) The shape of the coin is circular.

(3) The edge of the coin consists of 14 segments of which 7 are milled and 7 are plain.

(4) The standard weight of the coin is 9.00 grams.

(5) A variation of 0.28 grams from the standard weight is allowed.

(6) The diameter of the coin is 25.12 millimetres.

(7) The thickness of the coin is 2.80 millimetres.

(8) The obverse of the coin bears:

(a) an effigy of the Queen; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995".

(9) The reverse of the coin bears:

(a) a representation of a swagman; and

(b) the inscriptions "WALTZING MATILDA 1895 - 1995", "A.B. 'BANJO' PATERSON" and "1 DOLLAR".

Specifications and design of $1 coins

6. (1) This clause sets out the specifications and design of 2 coins of the denomination of $1 the standard composition of which consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal.

(2) The shape of each coin is circular.

(3) The edge of the first coin is milled.

(4) The edge of the second coin consists of 14 segments of which 7 are milled and 7 are plain.

(5) The standard weight of each coin is 11.49 grams.

(6) A variation of 0.23 grams from the standard weight is allowed.

(7) The diameter of each coin is 25.12 millimetres.

(8) The thickness of each coin is 2.80 millimetres.

(9) The obverse of each coin bears:

(a) an effigy of the Queen; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995".

(10) The reverse of each coin bears:

(a) a representation of a swagman; and

(b) the inscriptions "WALTZING MATILDA 1895 - 1995", "A.B. 'BANJO' PATERSON" and "1 DOLLAR".

Specifications and design of $1 silver coins

7. (1) This clause sets out the specifications and design of 2 coins each of the denomination of $1 and the standard composition of which includes not less than 99.9% silver.

(2) The shape of each coin is circular.

(3) The edge of the first coin is milled.

(4) The edge of the second coin consists of 12 segments, of which 6 are coarse milled and 6 are plain.

(5) The standard weight of each coin is 31.635 grams.

(6) A variation of 0.50 grams from the standard weight is allowed.

(7) The diameter of each coin is 40.60 millimetres.

(8) The thickness of each coin is 4.00 millimetres.

(9) The obverse of each coin bears:

(a) an effigy of the Queen; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995".

(10) The reverse of each coin bears:

(a) a representation of the head and neck of a kangaroo; and

(b) the inscriptions "C", "ONE DOLLAR" and "1 OUNCE FINE SILVER".

Specifications and designs of $5 silver coins

8. (1) This clause sets out the specifications and designs of 5 coins each of the denomination of $5 and the standard composition of which consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal.

(2) The shape of each coin is circular.

(3) The edge of each coin is milled.

(4) The standard weight of each coin is 35.790 grams.

(5) A variation of 0.63 grams from the standard weight is allowed.

(6) The diameter of each coin is 38.90 millimetres.

(7) The thickness of each coin is 3.50 millimetres.

(8) The obverse of each coin bears:

(a) an effigy of the Queen; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995".

(9) The reverse of the first coin bears:

(a) an effigy of Elizabeth Macarthur against a background representation of a flock of sheep; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH MACARTHUR 1766 1850" and "5 DOLLARS".

(10) The reverse of the second coin bears:

(a) a representation of a shack with two miners and their tools; and

(b) the inscriptions "THE GOLD RUSH ERA" and "5 DOLLARS".

(11) The reverse of the third coin bears:

(a) an effigy of Colonel William Light against a background representation of a plan of Adelaide; and

(b) the inscriptions "COL. WILLIAM LIGHT 1786 - 1839" and "5 DOLLARS".

(12) The reverse of the fourth coin bears:

(a) a representation of part of a Cobb & Co coach with a driver and passengers; and

(b) the inscriptions "COBB & CO 1853" and "5 DOLLARS".

(13) The reverse of the fifth coin bears:

(a) an effigy of Charles Todd; and

(b) a representation of the Southern Cross, Uluru and telegraph poles across the desert; and

(c) the inscriptions "CHARLES TODD 1827 -1910" and "5 DOLLARS".

Specifications and design of $10 coins

9. (1) This clause sets out the specifications and design of 2 coins of the denomination of $10 the standard composition of which consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal.

(2) The shape of each coin is circular.

(3) The edge of each coin is milled.

(4) The standard weight of the first coin is 20.00 grams.

(5) The standard weight of the second coin is 40.00 grams.

(6) A variation of 0.50 grams from the standard weight is allowed.

(7) The diameter of each coin is 34.10 millimetres.

(8) The thickness of the first coin is 2.90 millimetres.

(9) The thickness of the second coin is 5.10 millimetres.

(10) The obverse of each coin bears:

(a) an effigy of the Queen; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995".

(11) The reverse of each coin bears:

(a) a representation of a numbat on a log; and

(b) the inscriptions "NUMBAT" and "10 DOLLARS".

Specifications and designs of $10 coins

10. (1) This clause sets out the specifications and design of 2 coins of the denomination of $10 and the standard composition of which includes not less than 99.9% silver.

(2) The shape of each coin is circular.

(3) The edge of each coin is plain.

(4) The standard weight of each coin is 20.77 grams.

(5) A variation of 0.50 grams from the standard weight is allowed.

(6) The diameter of each coin is 34.10 millimetres.

(7) The thickness of each coin is 2.90 millimetres.

(8) The obverse of each coin bears:

(a) an effigy of the Queen; and

(b) the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995".

(9) The reverse of the first coin bears:

(a) an effigy of Dawn Fraser, and

(b) a representation of a laurel wreath and a sash with the inscription "DAWN FRASER"; and

(c) the inscriptions "AUSTRALIA'S LIVING LEGENDS" and "10 DOLLARS".

(10) The reverse of the second coin bears:

(a) an effigy of Murray Rose in water; and

(b) a representation of a torch and a laurel wreath; and

(c) the inscriptions "AUSTRALIA'S LIVING LEGENDS", "MURRAY ROSE and "10 DOLLARS".

 

Overview

The Currency Act 1965, enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament, governs the issuance and specifications of Australian currency. It was introduced to standardise the legal tender in Australia, ensuring a uniform and recognisable currency. The Currency Act 1965 allows for the creation of coins and banknotes through legislative instruments, such as the Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994, made by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer. This particular determination sets out the specifications and designs of various coins, including their composition, shape, weight, and inscriptions, while maintaining the policy objective of reflecting significant aspects of Australian history and culture. This ensures that the currency remains a practical medium of exchange while also serving as a national symbol.

Scope and Application

The Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994 made under the Currency Act 1965 governs the specifications and design of various coins within Australia. This determination applies to the minting and issuance of coins within the country, specifically detailing the specifications and design for coins of the denominations 50 cents, $1, $10, and various silver coins. The coins are to be minted in compliance with the prescribed specifications, including their shape, weight, diameter, thickness, and design elements such as the obverse and reverse inscriptions and images. The legislation does not affect any other determinations of coin specifications or designs, thereby ensuring a uniform standard for Australian currency. While the Act itself applies nationally, the specifics of coin design and specifications are determined by subordinate instruments like this determination, which can extend or restrict the application of the primary Act.

Key Provisions

The Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994, made under the Currency Act 1965, outlines the specifications and designs for various Australian coins. Specifically, section 4 details the specifications and design of a 50 cent coin, including its dodecahedral shape, plain edge, weight, diameter, thickness, and the images and inscriptions on both the obverse and reverse sides. Section 5 specifies the design and specifications for a $1 coin, including its circular shape, segmented edge, weight, diameter, thickness, and the corresponding images and inscriptions. The subsequent sections (6 to 10) provide similar details for various $1, $5, and $10 coins, including their shapes, edges, weights, diameters, thicknesses, and the images and inscriptions on both sides. The Currency Determination imposes specific obligations on the minting of these coins, requiring adherence to the specified compositions, shapes, edges, weights, diameters, thicknesses, and designs. Minters must ensure that each coin meets these standards to be legally tender. For example, the 50 cent coin must be dodecahedral in shape and bear a specific design on both sides, including an effigy of the Queen and certain inscriptions. Failure to comply with the specifications and design requirements outlined in the Currency Determination may lead to legal consequences. While the Determination does not explicitly state penalties for non-compliance, breaches of currency standards could potentially result in criminal charges under the Currency Act 1965. Such charges might include offences related to counterfeiting or producing substandard currency, which could attract significant penalties, including fines and imprisonment, as stipulated under the Currency Act. The exact penalties would depend on the severity and intent behind the breach.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.