Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Amendment Determination 2015 (No. 1)

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au F2015L02078 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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Explanatory Statement

Currency Act 1965

Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Amendment Determination 2015 (No. 1)

Under subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act 1965, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer made a determinations regarding the specifications of coins proposed to be issued by the Royal Australian Mint.

Subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act 1965 requires that the determination provides details of the coins’ characteristics, including standard composition, standard weight, allowable variation from standard weight, design and dimensions.

This amendment determination is a disallowable instrument for the purposes of section 42 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

Item 1

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2011 (No. 3)

Item 1 omits paragraph (a) of the reverse design in item 26 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2011 (No. 3) and substitutes “(a) a coloured image of a red flower” to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 2

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 1)

Item 2 omits the maximum thickness in item 30 of Schedule 1 Part 1 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 1) and substitutes “4.20” to correct an inaccuracy in the thickness of the coin.

Item 3

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3)

Item 3 repeals section 4, subsection 2 of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3) as the coin was not released.

Item 4

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3)

Item 4 repeals item 7 of Schedule 1 Part 1 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3) as the coin was not released.

Item 5

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3)

Item 5 repeals item 3 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3) as the coin was not released.

Item 6

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3)

Item 6 repeals item 10 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3) as the coin was not released.

Item 7

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3)

Item 7 omits subparagraph d(i) in item 13 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3) and substitutes “1 DOLLAR” to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 8

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3)

Item 8 omits subparagraph c(i) in item 14 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3) and substitutes “1 DOLLAR” to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 9

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3)

Item 9 repeals item 17 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 3) as the coin was not released.

Item 10

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 4)

Item 10 omits paragraph (d) of the reverse design in item 9 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 4) and substitutes “(d) a representation of Sydney Harbour Bridge, partially obscured by a coloured representation of an eye” to clarify the description of the reverse design.

Item 11

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 2)

Item 11 inserts additional text after paragraph (c) of the reverse design in item 13 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 2) by inserting “; and (d) in the background, 4 raised diagonal lines” to improve the description of the reverse design.

Item 12

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 4)

Item 12 omits paragraph (d) of the reverse design in item 30 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 4) and substitutes “(d) coloured images of common jack mackerel fish” to to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 13

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7)

Item 13 omits the standard weight and allowable variation in item 9 of Schedule 1 Part 1 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7) and substitutes “31.11 + 4.00” to correct an inaccuracy in the standard weight and allowable variation of the coin.

Item 14

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7)

Item 14 omits paragraph (b) of the reverse design in item 13 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7) and substitutes “(b) a representation of a biplane with red cross insignia, containing a waving passenger and pulling a banner with the words ‘I LOVE A SUNBURNT COUNTRY’ ”to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 15

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7)

Item 15 omits subparagraph (b)(ii) of the reverse design in item 35 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7) and substitutes “‘AEGEAN SEA’” to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 16

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7)

Item 16 omits subparagraph (b)(ii) of the reverse design in item 36 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7) and substitutes “‘AEGEAN SEA’” to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 17

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 4)

Item 17 omits the sentence immediately after subparagraph (c)(v) of the obverse in item 11 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 4) and substitutes “all enclosed by a circular ornamental border.” to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the obverse design.

Item 18

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 6)

Item 18 omits subparagraph (g)(ii)) of the reverse in item 13 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 6) and substitutes “’COO-EE MARCH – 1915’.” to correct an inaccuracy in the description of the reverse design.

Item 19

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8)

Item 19 repeals item 8 of Schedule 1 Part 1 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8) as the coin was not released.

Item 20

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8)

Item 20 repeals item 13 of Schedule 1 Part 1 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8) as the coin was not released.

Item 21

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8)

Item 21 repeals item 15 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8) as the coin was not released.

Item 22

Amendment of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8)

Item 22 repeals item 18 of Schedule 1 Part 2 Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8) as the coin was not released.

Commencement

This determination commences on the day after it is registered.

The proposed amendments do not contravene subsection 12(2) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 by having either of the following effects:

(a) affecting the rights of a person (other than the Commonwealth or an authority of the Commonwealth) as at the date of registration so as to disadvantage that person; or

(b) imposing liabilities on a person (other than the Commonwealth or an authority of the Commonwealth) in respect of anything done or omitted to be done before the date of registration.

Consultation

No public consultation was undertaken in relation to the currency determination. The effect of this instrument is to determine the weight, design and dimension of coins to enable the Royal Australian Mint to continue its production of circulating and numismatic coins. The Mint receives public submissions on coin designs and determines appropriate designs in accordance with its Coin Design Policy. The Mint used market based tools to identify interested parties and gauge interest in coin themes.

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

This 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. The purpose of the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Amendment Determination 2015 (No. 1) is to determine the weight, design and dimension of circulating and numismatic coins. This instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms. This instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues. This determination has been made by the Assistant Minister to theTreasurer, Alex Hawke, in accordance with subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act 1965.

Overview

The Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Amendment Determination 2015 (No. 1) amends the specifications of coins proposed to be issued by the Royal Australian Mint under the Currency Act 1965. Enacted by the Assistant Minister to the Treasurer, Alex Hawke, the determination provides details of the coins’ characteristics, including standard composition, standard weight, allowable variation from standard weight, design and dimensions. The purpose of this amendment is to correct inaccuracies in the description of coin designs and specifications, as well as to repeal entries pertaining to coins that were not released. The determination is a disallowable instrument under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, and the policy objective is to ensure the accuracy and consistency of coin specifications for the Mint's production of circulating and numismatic coins.

Scope and Application

The Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Amendment Determination 2015 (No. 1) applies to the Royal Australian Mint and pertains to the specifications of coins proposed for issuance, including their characteristics such as standard composition, standard weight, allowable variation from standard weight, design, and dimensions. This determination amends previous determinations regarding coin specifications to correct inaccuracies and remove references to coins that were not released. The Act applies at the national level within Australia, as it concerns the federal currency and mint operations. There are no stated exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds in the determination itself; however, the amendments are made to correct specific errors in the previously issued determinations. The application of the Act may be extended or restricted through further subordinate instruments made under the Currency Act 1965, although such extensions or restrictions are not detailed in this particular determination.

Key Provisions

The Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Amendment Determination 2015 (No. 1) amends previous determinations to correct inaccuracies in the descriptions of coin designs and specifications, and repeals entries for coins that were not released (subsection 13A(1)). This determination specifies the coins' characteristics, including standard composition, standard weight, allowable variation from standard weight, design and dimensions. It amends the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2011 (No. 3) by substituting a coloured image of a red flower for the reverse design in item 26 of Schedule 1 Part 2 (Item 1). Similarly, it corrects the thickness of a coin in item 30 of Schedule 1 Part 1 of the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2013 (No. 1) by substituting '4.20' (Item 2). The determination also repeals entries in Schedule 1 of Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determinations 2013 (Nos. 3 and 4) and 2014 (Nos. 2, 4, 7) for coins that were not released (Items 3 to 9). Additionally, it amends the reverse design descriptions in items 13 and 14 of Schedule 1 Part 2 of the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (No. 7), and in items 11 and 12 of Schedule 1 Part 2 of the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2014 (Nos. 2 and 4) to correct inaccuracies (Items 10 to 16). Furthermore, it amends the obverse and reverse designs in items 11 and 13 of Schedule 1 Part 2 of the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (Nos. 4 and 6) to correct inaccuracies (Items 17 and 18). It also repeals entries in Schedule 1 of the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2015 (No. 8) for coins that were not released (Items 19 to 22). The determination is a disallowable instrument under section 42 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. The Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Amendment Determination 2015 (No. 1) imposes obligations on the Royal Australian Mint to produce coins according to the amended specifications. The Mint must ensure that the coins meet the revised standards for weight, design, and dimension as specified in the determination. These amendments ensure that the coins produced are consistent with the legal requirements and public expectations. The Mint must also comply with the Currency Act 1965 and ensure that the coins meet the legal standards for currency in Australia. Breach of the provisions of this determination could lead to civil or criminal penalties. Although the determination does not specify penalties, non-compliance with the Currency Act 1965 could result in criminal charges and fines under Australian law. The severity of the penalties would depend on the nature and extent of the breach, and the discretion of the courts. The Mint must adhere to the amended specifications to avoid legal repercussions and maintain the integrity of the currency system.

Area of Law: Currency Law
Instrument: Regulation
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations; Regulatory Standards

Interactions

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.