2019-01-10 Thu

Like every year, the Royal Australian Mint released the first coins in the world for 2019. This time, it features interesting designs based on the unique theme ‘The Bold, the Bad and the Ugly: Australia’s wild colonial bushrangers’. Coin collectors eagerly wait for this annual event when the first coin of the year is revealed.

Australian bushrangers have been an integral part of Australia’s folklore and identity. The 2019 coin is the second one in its three-year coins series, based on themes related to colonial Australia. The Mint officials stated that the bushranging era was responsible for developing Australian art, literature, music and culture.

At 9:15 am, on 1st January 2019, the first 100 collectors waiting outside the Royal Australian Mint got a chance to receive the first coins of the world in 2019. The 2019 Mintmark collection coins are legal currency in Australia. Stories and imagery related to Bold, Bad and Ugly characters are included in every coin’s packaging. The reverse side features an Australian bushranger and the brave colonial trooper while the reverse depicts an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley.

A special coin set with coins from the mintmark and privy mark sets and a proof version, along with a certificate number 1 was given to the first customer. People had lined up outside the Mint from 6 am in the morning to be one of the first 100 collectors to receive the coins.

Image Courtesy: Royal Australian Mint