Media Forum – Australian Coins for 2009

Royal Australian Mint - 2009 Coins

Looking forward to 2010, Graham Smith Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint is hoping for a great turnout when the RAM hosts the Annual Mint Directors Conference in Canberra. Smith shared a bit of RAM history with the crowd before handing off to Felicity Mullens, Director of Markteing and Sales, who did a quick wrap-up of 2008 and shared some of the RAM 2009 programs with us.

Their Little Dinkums series continues with a new pair of gold proofs for Petey Platypusand Lillypilly Lizard, plus a brand new Mama Roo $1 coin will be released in 2009 featuring a mother kangaroo with four young followers. The new Blinky Bill coin series also begins in 2009, with a proof setand a special Baby set, both of which include coins with Blinky Bill's originator, Dorothy Wall. A gold and a $1 silver type will be struck to celebrate 60 Years of Australian Citizenship. This design brings together the great melting pot of Aussie culture in a circular propeller like array. It’s a good-looking coin and one that should garner attention from their collector base and beyond.

For the International Year of Astronomy, the RAM has produced a pair of coins with simple, yet fun designs showing the famous parks Telescope in a basic brass $1 type and a more intricate copper nickel 20 cent coin, both in proof and unciraulted sets, plus six coinproof and unc sets with the circulation denominations included.

Also new for 2009 are a $1 Year of the Ox coin, $10 gold and $1 silver and gold plated Kangaroo coinsdesigned by artist Ken Done, a 20 cent commemorative for Australian Service Nurses and a pair of new silver $5 issues for the International Polar Year.