Two Cents 2006 (mint sets only), Coin from Australia - detailed information

The Australian two-cent coin is the second smallest denomination of the Australian dollar. It was introduced with the Currency Act 1965 (Commonwealth) but - unlike some of the other denominations - it did not replace an earlier pre-decimal coin; given that the 5 cents piece replaced the sixpence, two cents were technically equal to 2.4 pence but the Act rounded that to either two or three pence. The halfpenny, penny and threepence denominations had no exact equivalent in the new system, unlike the sixpence, shilling and florin which were equivalent to respectively 5 cents, 10 cents and 20 cents and were re-denominated as such

The one cent and the two cent denominations were withdrawn from circulation in February 1992. They have never been demonetised though and remain legal tender.

In 2006, the Royal Australian Mint produced some for mint sets (brilliant uncirculated coins and proofs), celebrating the 40th anniversary of the denomination. Gold proofs have a diameter of 21.59 mm, weigh 11.31 g and are of 0.999 purity (0.3633 oz. AGW).

Silver proofs of the same year have Her Majesty's "Second Portrait" (by Arnold Machin) and are listed separately in the Non-Circulating Legal Tender section.