World coins
Why Australia’s new currency update is head and shoulders above the rest…
For the first time in 20 years, a brand new portrait of the Queen will be featured on Australia’s currency update.
Since her coronation in 1953, five effigies of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II have appeared on the obverse of Australian coins – creating a numismatic timeline which shows her changing profile over the years.
Previous effigies were designed by Mary Gillick (1953), Arnold Machin (1966), and Raphael Maklouf (1985), however since 1998, Australian coins have used the current effigy by Ian Rank-Broadley, except during 2000, when Royal Australian Mint designer Vladimir Gottwald’s effigy was used on the 50c Royal Visit coin.
The inclusion of an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse of Australia’s coinage is mandated by Regulation 4(c) of the Currency Regulations made under the Currency Act 1965.
This new effigy by Jody Clark marks the sixth update to the Queen’s portrait and is said to continue the story of her reign and lifetime, although you might notice something a little different about this updated design…
Sixth Coin Effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019 $1 Uncirculated Coin. Obverse featuring the new design, reverse showing the old. Credit: ramint.gov.au
Whilst continuing to depict Her Majesty facing to the right and wearing the diamond diadem crown, unusually this new image will break from the traditional UK design by also including the Queen’s shoulders and the Victorian coronation necklace.
Mr Clark is responsible for the UK’s most recent portrait of Her Majesty, updated in 2015 and selected by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee.
His designs have also featured on recent releases such as the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding £5 and the Queen’s Beasts £5 coins.
Chief Executive of the Royal Australian Mint, says: “The transition to a new effigy on all Australian coinage will begin in 2019 and continue into 2020. Coins carrying previous portraits of the Queen will remain in circulation.”
Sixth Coin Effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019 $1 Packaging. Credit: ramint.gov.au
However there is some controversy surrounding this coinage update, as the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) continue their campaign to remove the Queen as head of state in Australia.
What are your thoughts on Australia’s new currency update and do you think the design is head and shoulders above the rest? Let us know in the comments below.
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The $1 Coin Series set to become a Collecting Phenomenon…
We’ve been admiring US coinage recently and if you’ve read our previous blog detailing the series that half of American collected, you’ll be very excited to hear that starting from 2019, the United States Mint will begin minting and issuing the American Innovation $1 Coin Act – a brand new coin series honouring American innovation.
This latest numismatic programme looks set to follow on from the success and popularity of the US Territories Quarters series mentioned above, which not only kick started coin collecting in America, but worldwide!
Each coin represents its own state and will be released in the order that its respective state was ratified in the Constitution of the United States and admitted to the Union.
Candidate designs developed for the 2018 American Innovation $1 Coin Program in accordance with the Act that authorized them. Credit: www.usmint.gov
Released over a 14 year period, these coins will all bear an obverse with the Statue of Liberty and the inscriptions of “$1” and “In God We Trust”. The reverse images will be representative of a significant innovation, an innovator/group of innovators from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories of the US. The reverse designs will be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with each Governor, chief executive and the U.S Commission of Fine Arts.
Most excitingly, the first introductory coin is set to be released later this year! The reverse of this coin will be inscribed with “United States of America” and “American Innovators,” and it will include a representation of President George Washington’s signature on the first U.S. patent.
Following this introductory coin, the rest will be released at a rate of 4 coins per year. Just like the US State Quarters Series, The American $1 coins are expected to rapidly become one of the most widely collected series. But will you be collecting these new US $1 coins? Let us know in the comments below!
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2009 District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarters! Credit: usacoinbook.com
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The Coin Series that Half of America Collected…
In 1999 the first 5 coins of a remarkable series made their way into the hands of the American public. Designed to give a boost to the nation’s interest in numismatics, these specially themed ‘State’ Quarter Dollars rapidly became the most popular collecting phenomenon in American history.
1999 State Quarters. Credit: usacoinbook.com
In 1993 a committee was formed to investigate ways to generate interest from younger collectors in the American numismatic market. Little did they know the ideas proposed in that very meeting would transcend all ages and interests and become the most widely collected series of coins in American history, and arguably, the world.
The key proposal was a collection of 50 new quarters – one for every state. 5 quarters were released a year over a ten year period, with the reverse designs representing the history and heritage of each state – a timeless reminder of the breadth and diversity of American culture. To make room for these intricate designs the familiar writing ‘Quarter Dollar’, ‘Liberty’ and ‘In God We Trust’ was moved onto the obverse.
The planning process to get such a momentous series of coins produced is estimated to have involved 3.5 million people, whether that was submitting design concepts or voting for their favourite.
The hard work resulted in a series of coins which are a true spectacle, each a miniature work of art. From the Wright Brothers Plane on the North Carolina coin, Mount Rushmore on the South Dakota coin, to Chimney Rock on the Nebraska coin, and the Grand Canyon on the Arizona coin, each design is a talking point and little piece of US history.
Despite their obvious popularity there was a time when their very survival was in jeopardy. Various reports state that the US Treasury was opposed to the idea, unconvinced by the figures and unsure of the concept. Nevertheless the State Quarters Programme made it through a strict feasibility study unscathed, and the first coins were struck in 1999 – the rest is history…
It’s estimated that nearly half of all Americans collected these coins in some form or another. That’s roughly 150 million people!
But as the series was technically intended for circulation it could sometimes take years for a collector to find all the quarters in their change. And as each coin was struck for just 10 weeks, never to be struck again, finding every single one of these coins would still take a monumental effort. Especially as a significant proportion of the coins were taken out of circulation straight away into private collections, making them harder to find than ever before.
The coins were so popular that in 2009, following the conclusion of the 50 State Quarters Program, a one year follow up series began featuring six additional Quarters that represented the six US jurisdictions that aren’t classified as states.
What’s more, these extra coins had a significantly lower mintage of 636,200,000 – a tiny amount compared to the 50 State Quarters Program that had its lowest mintage in 2008 with just 2,438,200,000 Quarters being issued.
These 56 US Quarters in total clearly make for an excellent collection of US coinage and it’s not surprising that this collection became the most successful numismatics program in history!
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2009 District of Columbia and United States Territories Quarters! Credit: usacoinbook.com
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