Five Cents 2009 Decimal Pattern, Coin from Australia - detailed information

Five Cents 2009 Decimal Pattern, Coin from Australia
CoinFive Cents 2009 Decimal Pattern

The Australian 5 cent coin was first introduced with decimalisation on 14 February 1966 when it replaced the pre-decimal Australian sixpence. The original reverse design by Stuart Devlin has not been changed since its introduction.

The denomination is occasionally used by both the Royal Australian Mint and the Perth Mint to issue collector coins, which are legal tender in Australia - such as this one.

In May 2009, the Perth mint released a proof coin set based on Andor Mészáros 1966 decimal currency designs.

The tribute set contains five coins which reproduce the reverse designs submitted by Andor Mészáros for the low-denomination coins, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent, in Australia's first issue of decimal currency in 1966. The obverse of the coins was designed by Ian Rank-Broadley. The coins in this set are proof quality silver. They were created using plasters supplied by the Mészáros family.

Mészáros was a prominent sculptor and medal artist based in Melbourne. As part of the project to introduce decimal currency to Australia, the Advisory Panel on Coin Design commissioned six artists, including Mészáros, to submit reverse designs for the new coins. Andor's designs included Australian flora (wattle and waratah) and fauna (platypus, yabbie, kookaburra, snake and black swan). The successful artist was Stuart Devlin, a Geelong-born gold and silversmith, later based in England.

This set highlights the artistic endeavours involved in the development of decimal currency, which was a major event in Australia's numismatic history.

Mass: 2.74 g. Diameter: 19.6 mm. Composition: 0.999 silver (0.088 oz. ASW).

MintPerth Mint Mint MarkNo mint mark Total Mintage 7,500
Obverse

The obverse shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.

In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).

Around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the date: ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2009.

The effigy of the Queen is smaller than on regular coins.

Obverse Inscription ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2009
Reverse

Platypus and yabbie (an Australian freshwater crustacean). The numeral 5 between the animals. Artist's initials AM and symbol, below.

Reverse Inscription 5
EdgeMilledEdge InscriptionNone
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Five Cents 2009 Decimal Pattern: References to Information Used
SourceEditionAboutLinkNotes
Museums Victoria Collections 2016 Coin description link
Perth Mint 2016 Mint link
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins 2016 Mintage link
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Five Cents 2009 Decimal Pattern: Details
CountryAustralia
CurrencyAustralian Dollar
Coin TypeFive Cents, NCLT
Issued2009
MonarchQueen Elizabeth II
EffigyQueen Elizabeth II - Fourth Portrait, by Ian Rank-Broadley
Face Value5 (x Cent)
Total Mintage7,500
CurrentYes
MaterialCuproNickel
DesignerAndor Mészáros
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationMedal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size19.5300 mm
Mass2.8300 g
OCC IDNRWK-ZEJN-CMGQ-EXGL
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Five Cents 2009 Decimal Pattern: Catalogue Reference IDs
SourceReference ID
Krause, Standard Catalog of World CoinsAustralia KM# 1251