2013, is the bicentenary of Australia’s first coins, the Holey Dollar and Dump.
Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer Mr Ross MacDiarmid explained that, the first Holey Dollars and Dumps were struck in 1813 from Spanish eight reale coins, to give the rapidly establishing colony of New South Wales a stable currency that would not be taken overseas.
“The bicentenary of the Holey Dollar and Dump is an important milestone in Australia’s history because not only were they Australia’s first official coins but their introduction also signified the beginning of Australian society as we know it today, which made this anniversary an obvious choice for the theme of our mintmark coin in 2013,” Mr MacDiarmid commented.