There were two coins minted for the Australian Open Tennis in 2012. One features the men's trophy and one the women's trophy. They are very similar coins and if seen apart it might be difficult to differentiate which coin is which. Hence the reason for the above image of both coins side by side to help determine which coin is which.

The silhouette on the women's coin is of the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup (right). This cup is tall and slender with a wreath and crossed tennis racquets on the top with fine handles.

The silhouette on the men's coin is of the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup (left). A more solid shorter fatter cup with strong handles.

When viewing the coins side by side it's easy to see the differences in both designs by the RAM's Wojciech Pietranik.

The first currency determination for 2012 was made in parliament on 19th January 2012 and published just yesterday. It outlines additions to the currency act of 1965 for new commemorative legal tender that may be produced by the Royal Australian Mint. It provides details of new designs and the characteristics of the proposed coins. Remember these are just proposed designs and until we see them minted they are just that.

New designs we are likely to see:

1. The most interesting inclusion in this currency determination is a circulating commemorative coloured $2 coin. This would be the first circulating coloured coin and the first commemorative $2 coin if this coin comes to fruition.

2. Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Australian Ballet. Two NCLT 50c coins one cupro-nickel and one in silver proof. The reverse design includes 2 ballet dancers performing by designer Aaron Baggio.

3. Wheat Sheaf $1 with a Canberra Bluebell counterstamp to be struck for the Canberra Festival ENLIGHTEN on the mobile coin press. The Royal Bluebell is the floral emblem of the ACT.

4. Titled "Australian Decimal Effigiies" is this one dollar the first in a series? The proposed $1 reminisces the Arnold Machin portait used from 1966 to 1984 of Queen Elizabeth II on the reverse with the 2012 Ian Rank-Broadley portrait also of QEII on the obverse. Is this a double headed coin! This 25mm coin is to be struck in fine silver in gem unc and proof finish.

5. $5 silver proof coloured coin featuring the constellation Crux in a field of stars superimposed over a representation of a compass.

6. $5 in a bronze antique finish composed of aluminium zinc and bronze with a design of the Perth Town Hall.

The first currency determination for 2012 for the Royal Australian Mint has been released today with one big surprise for collectors. To say I was shocked was an understatement but it seems a design has been approved by treasury to possibly mint a commemorative $2 coin design -and for circulation?

The theme is Remembrance Day so it seems we won't see this release until later in the year. The reverse design repeating "REMEMBRANCE DAY" in 11 rows with a central circle of "LEST WE FORGET". The design including a coloured representation of a poppy flower in the foreground and 2 other representations of poppy flowers inscribed "2 DOLLARS" and REMEMBRANCE". The obverse the standard Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of the Queen with "AUSTRALIA" and "2012".

Specifications of this coin appear identical to our Aboriginal Elder standard $2 composed of copper, aluminium and nickel and weighing 6.6g with a diameter of 20.62mm. The explanatory statement also reads "Circulating Coin".

Could this be our first coloured circulating commemorative $2 coin design or shall I awaken shortly from a dream? The Canadians have done it before, is this Australia's turn?

The Australian Open tennis men's and women's finals matches held on the 28th and 29th of January 2012 featured something just a little different this year. The coins used in the toss prior to the start of the match that allows the winning player to choose who serves first were the commemorative Australian Open 2012 Tennis designs produced by the Royal Australian Mint. The men's trophy design for the men's final and the women's trophy design for the women's final.

Each NCLT aluminium bronze one dollar was auctioned by Tennis Australia with the proceeds donated to the Australian Tennis Foundation. These coins, sold on eBay fetched $3,051 for the men's coin and $837 for the women's.

Released in tandem with the Fields of Gold Australian Wheat $1 this 20c simply depicts an ear of wheat. The single stalk a little different to what we know as the wheat sheaf threepence which has been reissued this year as another one dollar coin. All these issues give recognition to the Australian wheat industry in 2012.

The coin shown above is 20c denomination and was designed by Wojciech Pietranik. The legends read "Fields of Gold Australian Wheat" which is surrounded by rim beads of tiny wheat heads. A very simple design with lots of bare open fields on the coin. Wojciech's initials WP can be seen below the 20 to the left of the stalk.

The obverse or the heads side of the coin depicts Queen Elizabeth II portrayed by Ian Rank-Broadley. His initials can be seen at the base of the portrait. The 20c is 28.52mm in diameter and weighs 11.3 grams. It is made of cupro-nickel and has continuous edge milling. It has been released in uncirculated and proof quality in special 2 coin sets, this is the only way to obtain these coins.

The Australian Open Tennis is one of four grand slam events which includes Wimbledon, the French Open and the US open. It's the only grand slam held in the southern hemisphere. 2012 marks the 100th Australian Tournament played and in celebration of this the Royal Australian Mint has released two legal tender one dollar coins each depicting the winners trophies. The first is of the Men's Trophy and this coin of the Women's Trophy.

The reverse design is by the RAM's Wojciech Pietranik and features a silhouette of the winners trophy, the Daphne Akhurst Cup outlined by swirls and a small tennis ball with a player inside "Australian Open 2012 One Dollar". The obverse is by Ian Rank-Broadley and is the standard QEII effigy used on all Australian legal tender issued in 2012.

This one dollar coin is issued as NCLT or non-circulating legal tender and is not meant for circulation but does bear all the features of a circulating coin. It is 25mm in diameter and weigns 9 grams and is manufactured on an aluminium bronze planchet. It has interrupted edge milling.

Released in a capsule which snaps into a foldable collector card for $15 the mintage can be found in the 2012 One Dollar Issues and Mintages Table.

Tennis is a major event for many Aussies parked in front of the television during the seering Australian summer heat. The Australian Open tournament is played in Melbourne and is one of four global grand slam events, the only one played in the southern hemisphere. Competitors play for $26 million in prize money.

To celebrate the 2012 competition, the hundredth men's singles championship held since 1905, two Australian legal tender one dollar coins have been released by the Royal Australian Mint. Each features the winners trophies, one women's and one men's. That's right, there are 2 aluminium bronze $1 coins in this series which look very similar.

One of these coins can be seen above, the design bearing a likeness of the men's trophy the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. Comparing each design it is shorter and wider than the women's coin. Swirls around the trophy and a small tennis ball with a player inside complete the design "Australian Open 2012". This reverse is by the RAM's Wojciech Pietranik with the obverse is by Ian Rank-Broadley depicting Queen Elizabeth II. It measures 25mm with interrupted edge milling and weighs 9 grams and is the standard aluminium bronze composition of dollar coins you find in change. This coin has, however, only been issued only as NCLT.

Issued in a foldable collectable card for $15 the mintage can be found in the 2012 One Dollar Issues and Mintages Table.

The Australian one dollar coin is released each year with many different commemorative designs. The original standard design is the mob of 5 kangaroos by Stuart Devlin. These aluminium bronze coins weigh 9 grams and are 25mm in diameter. Some of these designs are struck in silver proof which are still the same size but differ in weight, the 99.9% silver being a heavier coin at 11.66 grams. All coins have interrupted edge reeding. All these legal tender Australian coins released have the obverse effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.

 

Find links to individual entries in the description column and issues and mintages will be updated throughout the year as new coins are released and latest information becomes available.

Year	Description	Type	Mint Mark	Composition	Notes	Mintage
2012	Mob of Roos	Circulation ?	None	AlBr	Circulation	?
	Wheat Sheaf	Circulation	C mm	AlBr	RAM Gallery Press	*
	Wheat Sheaf	Circulation	C mm	AlBr	4 coin unc set	*
	Wheat Sheaf	Circulation	S privy	AlBr	4 coin unc set	*
	Wheat Sheaf	Circulation	B privy	AlBr	4 coin unc set	*
	Wheat Sheaf	Circulation	M privy	AlBr	4 coin unc set	*
	International Year of Co-operatives	Circulation	None	AlBr	Coin in Card	*
	Australian Year of the Farmer	Circulation	None	AlBr	Coin in Card	*
	Australian Open Men's Trophy	Circulation	None	AlBr	Coin in Card	*
	Australian Open Women's Trophy	Circulation	None	AlBr	Coin in Card	*
	Gorilla	Frosted Unc	None	AlBr	Coloured 150th Ann. Melbourne Zoo	*
	Elephant	Frosted Unc	None	AlBr	Coloured 150th Ann. Melbourne Zoo	*
	Year of the Dragon	Circulation	None	AlBr	Lunar Series, Coin in Card	*
	Year of the Dragon	Proof	None	.999 Silver	Lunar Coin Series, Cased	*<10,000
	Fields of Gold Australian Wheat	Circulation	None	AlBr	2 Coin Unc Set	*<40,000
	Fields of Gold Australian Wheat	Proof	None	AlBr	2 Coin Proof Set	*<25,000
	Ethel C pedley	Circulation	None	AlBr	Dot and the Kangaroo Baby Mint Set	*
	Mob of Roos	Circulation	None	AlBr	Mint Set	*<100,000
	Mob of Roos	Proof	None	AlBr	Proof Set	*<50,000
	Mob of Roos	Proof	None	AlBr	Dot and the Kangaroo Baby Proof Set	*
	Mob of Roos	Proof	None	AlBr	Wedding Set	*

Footnotes: * - These issues are currently in production so we would not expect confirmed mintage figures until the 2011/2012 RAM annual report released around October 2012. Final mintage numbers are usually found over 2 or more annual reports.

Visitors to the Perth ANDA show on 3/4 March 2012 will be disappointed not to see the Royal Australian Mint with the portable press this year. The portable press is required for use in Canberra that weekend for Enlighten events so it will not be travelling to this coin show. The RAM will still have Wheat Sheaf $1 P counterstamps available but they will have all been pre-struck in Canberra and taken to the show to be sold.

Last years Perth ANDA saw a similar situation where some counterstamps were pre-struck but this was simply a timing and organisational issue as it was not thought possible to strike the entire allocation within the 2 days of the show. They did take the portable press in 2011 and you could still strike your own counterstamp if you wished.

This is particularly bad timing for the 2012 Perth ANDA as it is a real show attraction to have the thrill of striking your own stamp onto your coin.

A beautiful sunny 1st of January 2012 and we're told the sunburn was free. Dedicated collectors were at the front of the queue to be the first to strike the new 2012 Wheat Sheaf C mintmark dollar coins on the gallery presses at the Royal Australian Mint. There wasn't a rush to be in the first 100 as our roving correspondents wandered up at 9:40am for a 10am opening of the RAM. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, they achieved around 60th in the lineup. Peter Russo from Brisbane had camped at the front door of the RAM from 9am the previous Friday to receive the framed certificate (for No. 1) and strike the first Wheat Sheaf C mintmark one dollar coin for 2012 . His collector friend should be very proud of the efforts he went to secure this coin and certificate for his mate. Security was on hand to monitor potential queue jumpers which had been a problem last year.

The first 100 visitors to the Mint received a numbered certificate, minted the first coins of 2012 and received a calico goody bag from RAM staff which included the Mint Issue magazine, Mint mints, bottled water and a white cotton glove. Among the dedicated was Australia's youngest collector, the 6 year old boy as cute as a button and battling brain cancer. He was the only collector who had their wheat sheaf coin folder signed by CEO Ross MacDiarmid. There are 2 gallery presses and odds (in entry line order) went to one press and evens lined up at the other to strike a maximum of 3 coins each.

Thanks to Robyn McCormack our ACT Coin Club Correspondent for battling the crowd to bring this information to the Australian Coin Collecting Blog.