Five Dollars 2023 Australian World Heritage Properties, Coin from Australia - detailed information

The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait" worldwide but "Sixth Portrait" in Australia, where the Queen's portrait by Vladimir Gottwald was fifth).

The Queen also wears the Coronation Necklace; originally made for Queen Victoria in 1858, it was also worn at the coronations (as Queen's Consort) of Queen Alexandra in 1902, Queen Mary in 1911 and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen mother) in 1937.

Unlike on British coinage, the effigy is "uncouped" (includes the Queen's shoulders). In small letters on the left, the artist's initials JC (for Jody Clark).

Running continuously around the rim is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the face value: ELIZABETH II 1952 - 2022 · AUSTRALIA 2023.

The legend is interrupted by the "memorial" inclusion of the dates of the Queen's reign, 1952 - 2022.

The reverse of the coin features images of all 20 Australian World Heritage Properties in intricate detailed relief, which frames a full-colour, central image of a handprint, fan palm frond, and a shell fossil surrounded by bricks to represent the natural and built icons and Australia’s rich Indigenous heritage.

Encircling the coloured central design is the inscription AUSTRALIAN WORLD HERITAGE PROPERTIES above, and the denomination 5 DOLLARS below.

In a wide rim around that, the 20 Australian sites inscribed on the World Heritage List (in brackets - the year they were added to the list), clockwise from the top (some have multiple sites and are represented more than once):
- Great Barrier Reef (1981)
- Sydney Opera House (2007)
- Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (1986, 1994)
- Heard and McDonald Islands (1997)
- Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (1994) - Naracoorte
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Kingston and Arthur's Vale Historic Area
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Coal Mines Historic Site
- Budj Bim Cultural Landscape (2019)
- Shark Bay, Western Australia (1991)
- Tasmanian Wilderness (1982, 1989)
- Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (1994) - Riversleigh
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Hyde Park Barracks
- Greater Blue Mountains Area (2000)
- Lord Howe Island Group (1982)
- Wet Tropics of Queensland (1988)
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Fremantle Prison
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Darlington Probation Station
- Macquarie Island (1997)
- Fraser Island (1992)
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Old Government House and Domain (Paramatta Park)
- Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park (1987, 1994)
- Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens (2004)
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Brickendon and Woolmers Estates
- Willandra Lakes Region (1981)
- Kakadu National Park (1981, 1987, 1992)
- Ningaloo Coast (2011)
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Cockatoo Island
- Purnululu National Park (2003)
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Cascades Female Factory
- Australian Convict Sites (2010) - Port Arthur Historic Site.

The designer's initials TD (for Tony Dean) are below the representation of the Port Arthur Historic Site, above WORLD in the inscription.

Finish: Frosted Uncirculated, coloured.
Packaging: in blister card.
Release date: 7 September 2023.
Release price: AU$ 30.00.

The coins were issued during the reign of King Charles III; however, as his effigy was not expected to be approved for use in Australia until late in the year, they feature a "memorial" obverse with the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the dates of her reign, 1952 - 2022.