Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2003 (No. 5)

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au F2005B03080 In force Legislative Instrument

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Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2003 (No. 5)

I, IAN GORDON CAMPBELL, Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, make this Determination under subsection 13A (1) of the Currency Act 1965.

Dated 29 July 2003

IAN CAMPBELL

Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer

Contents

 1 Name of Determination 

 2 Commencement 

 3 Specification of coins 

 4 Application of Determination 

Schedule 1 

Part 1 Specifications of coins 

Part 2 Explanation of symbols 

 

 

 

1 Name of Determination

  This Determination is the Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2003 (No. 5).

2 Commencement

  This Determination commences on gazettal.

3 Specification of coins

  This Determination specifies, for a coin having the denomination and standard composition specified in columns 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 1, the standard weight, the allowable variation from that weight, the dimensions and the design specified in columns 4, 5 and 6 of that Part.

4 Application of Determination

  The specifications in Schedule 1 to this Determination do not affect any other Determination of the specification of a coin.

Schedule 1    

(section 3)

Part 1 Specifications of coins

 

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

Column 5

Column 6

Item

Denomination

Standard
composition

Standard weight and allowable variation (g)

Dimensions

Design

(1)
Diameter
(mm)

(2)
Thickness
(mm)

(1)
Shape

(2)
Edge

(3)
Obverse

(4)
Reverse

101

$5

Not less than 99.9% silver

36.31 ± 0.64

38.90

3.50

S1

E1

O38

R322

102

$10

Not less than 99.9% silver with a central ring of silver, plated with gold of not less than 99.99%

60.50 ± 0.80

50.10

3.80

S1

E1

O39

R323

Part 2 Explanation of symbols

 

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

Item

Design Feature

Symbol

Explanation

201

Shape

S1

Circular

202

Edge

E1

Continuously milled

203

Obverse

O38

An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, and the monogram ‘IRB’, surrounded by the inscriptions:

 (a) ‘ELIZABETH II’; and

 (b) ‘AUSTRALIA 2003’; and

 (c) ‘FIVE DOLLARS’.

204

Obverse

O39

A design consisting of a circle of raised beads, immediately inside the rim, surrounding:

 (a) the inscriptions:

 (i) ‘ELIZABETH II’; and

 (ii) ‘AUSTRALIA 2003’; and

 (b) an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the monogram ‘IRB’;

that, in turn, surround a wreath of wattle leaves underneath a gold-plated representation of the obverse of the 1853 Sydney Mint sovereign pattern coin, comprising an effigy of Queen Victoria surrounded by the inscriptions:

 (c) ‘VICTORIA’; and

 (d) ‘D:G:’; and

 (e) ‘BRITANNIAR:’; and

 (f) ‘REGINA’; and

 (g) ‘F:D:’; and

 (h) ‘1853’.

205

Reverse

R322

A design consisting of a holographic representation of the faces of three Australians that, on changing the angle of viewing, turns into a representation, in colour, of volunteer-associated equipment or images, being a hard hat, fire hose, flames, SES tape, red cross, a twig of the Wollemi pine, a figure cradling a child and a life saving flag, surrounded by a representation of a struck design of an interlocking jigsaw, surrounded by the inscriptions:

 (a) ‘AUSTRALIA’S VOLUNTEERS’; and

 (b) ‘MAKING A DIFFERENCE’.

206

Reverse

R323

A design comprising:

 (a) a wreath of wattle leaves tied with a ribbon; and

 (b) the inscription ‘1853 SYDNEY 2003’;

surrounding the inscriptions:

 (c) ‘MINT PATTERN’; and

 (d) ‘TEN DOLLARS’;

that, in turn, surround a gold plated representation of the reverse of the Sydney Mint pattern sovereign coin, comprising a circle of raised beads, immediately inside the rim, surrounding the inscriptions:

 (e) ‘SYDNEY MINT’; and

 (f) ‘ONE SOVEREIGN’;

that, in turn, surround a wreath of wattle leaves tied with a ribbon, surmounted by a crown, that in turn surrounds the inscription ‘AUSTRALIA’.

 

Overview

The Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2003 (No. 5) was enacted to specify the standards for the production of certain coins by the Royal Australian Mint. This legislative instrument was introduced to address the need for clear specifications for the physical attributes of currency, ensuring consistency and compliance with national standards. The determination was made under subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act 1965 by Ian Gordon Campbell, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer. The policy objective of this determination is to provide precise specifications for the weight, dimensions, and design of coins, ensuring that they meet the required standards and can be easily distinguished and used by the public. This Determination, which came into effect upon gazettal, outlines the specifications for particular coins, including their weight, allowable variations, dimensions, and design features, without affecting any other coin specifications previously determined.

Scope and Application

The Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2003 (No. 5) applies to the specifications of coins produced by the Royal Australian Mint. It sets out detailed requirements for the weight, dimensions, and design of coins, ensuring that they meet specific standards and criteria. The Determination applies to coins with particular denominations and standard compositions, as specified in the Schedule of the Determination. The Determination does not affect any other Determination of the specification of a coin, indicating that it operates within a broader regulatory framework. The application of this Determination is within the scope of the Currency Act 1965, and it comes into effect upon gazettal. This Determination, therefore, provides a legal basis for the specifications of coins issued by the Royal Australian Mint and ensures that these coins comply with the set standards.

Key Provisions

The Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2003 (No. 5) provides specific details about the specifications for two new coins. Section 3 of the Determination outlines the specifications for each coin, including its denomination, composition, standard weight, allowable variation, dimensions, and design. These coins are the $5 coin (item 101) and the $10 coin (item 102), both of which are made of silver and feature unique designs commemorating significant Australian history and volunteerism. This Determination imposes obligations on the Royal Australian Mint to produce the specified coins according to the outlined specifications. The Mint must ensure that each coin meets the prescribed weight, dimensions, and design requirements, including the specific silver composition, the allowable variations in weight, and the detailed descriptions of the coin's obverse and reverse sides. These specifications are intended to maintain the quality and integrity of the currency. Failure to comply with the specifications set out in this Determination can result in legal consequences. While the Determination does not explicitly outline penalties for non-compliance, it operates under the broader authority of the Currency Act 1965, which includes provisions for penalties for breaches of currency laws. These penalties could include fines or other legal actions under the Act, ensuring that the integrity and standards of Australian currency are upheld.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Commercial Law
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Specification of coins
Design of coins

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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.