Nowadays, it seems the only good thing about a coin is when you need to scratch a lotto ticket. However, the market for rare and valuable coins has taken off since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. With the coronation of King Charles III, several coins from the Royal Australian Mint celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation and Platinum Jubilee skyrocketed in value before the first coins depicting King Charles III launched an entirely new collecting market.
Often considered more of a nuisance, especially when they’re jangling around in your pockets, the next time you feel the urge to throw away your coins in a draw, think again. There are actually lots of rare and valuable Australian coins floating around that could earn you thousands. If you’re on your way to check your stash of coins, here are the most valuable and rare Australian Coins you should look out for.
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Rare and Valuable Australian Coins to Look Out For
We’ve rounded up the most valuable coins in Australia that are currently in circulation. Mintage numbers are in millions, while the estimated values are taken from auction sites such as eBay, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, and Downies with ex-mint prices stated. Those in your pocket will never be considered ‘mint’ but could still be worth money. As the saying goes, a coin is only worth what someone is willing to pay! Now, let’s check out the complete list.
Rare Australian Circulated $2 Coins
1. 2012 Red Poppy
Regarding rare and valuable Australian coins, the 2012 Red Poppy is one of the rarest you can get. The coin commemorates Remembrance Day and features an image of a bright red poppy designed by Aaron Baggio. You may have seen one of these back in the day, but the circulation wasn’t massive at the time, meaning getting your hands on one of these two-dollar coins would be pretty damn exciting.
Year minted: 2012
Mintage number: 503,000
Estimated value: up to $400
2. 2013 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation 60th Anniversary
Anything to do with our late Queen will be considered a rare coin in Australia for a while, like this one commemorating the 60th anniversary of her coronation. We can see why the concentric purple stripes and a central design featuring St Edward’s Crown is striking, to say the least.
Year minted: 2013
Mintage number: 1 million
Estimated value: up to $1000
3. 2015 ANZAC Cove Landing 100th Anniversary
Valuable Australian coins don’t get better than this one commemorating 100 years since the Anzac Cove landings. Inspired by the poppy, the distinctive red print spells out the words ‘Lest We Forget’.
Year minted: 2015
Estimated value: up to $100
4. 1988 Horst Hahne $2 Coin
Not all Australian coins worth money will set you back thousands, or should they? The first year run for the $2 coin (as designed by acclaimed sculptor Horst Hahne) bears the initials of the man himself, ‘HH’ printed on the bottom left. This was later removed from 1990 onwards. The Aboriginal man on the coin itself is said to be a Warlpiri-Anmatyerre loreman from the Northern Territory, Tjungurrayi, who was believed to have been born around 1895 in the Tanami Desert, north-west of Alice Springs. According to SBS he was a survivor of the Coniston Massacre that took place in 1928.
While this coin has been listed at $10,000, it is indeed only worth around $10 in good condition because around 160 million were minted.
Year minted: 2011
Mintage number: 160.9 million
Estimated value: up to $10
5. 2014 Commemorating Remembrance Day
Adorned with a dove and olive branch, this is one of the prettiest, rare and most valuable Australian Coins. Green stripes and rays of sunlight inspired by the original Rising Sun badge of the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces also feature on the design – almost resembling more an intricate painting than a coin! There are a few on the market hovering around the $60 mark, so expect sales to range anywhere from $20-60.
Year minted: 2014
Mintage number: 1.85 million
Estimated value: up to $60
What are the most wanted and rare $2 coins in Australia?
The 2012 Red Poppy, the 2013 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation 60th Anniversary, the 2015 ANZAC Cove Landing 100th Anniversary, the 2011 Horst Hahne $2 Coin, and the 2014 Commemorating Remembrance Day.
Rare Australian Circulated $1 Coins
1. 1992 Mob of Roos
While some rare coins in Australia may not appear rare at first glance, don’t be fooled. Like this one featuring five Kangaroos, for example, designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin, it may not look too different from your regular $1 coin, but there are actually very few (probably zero) of these out there because although the coins were reported as part of the 1991-1992 Royal Australian Mint Annual Report, they’ve never been found in circulation.
Year minted: 1992
Mintage number: 8,000
Estimated value: $TBA
2. 2022 Mob of Roos
Another inconspicuous Australian coin worth money is the 2022 Mob of Roos. Like the one from 1992, this one features the exact same (rare) design, but since it was only minted in 2022, it will undoubtedly be shinier (and easier to spot). This is one for coin noodlers to keep their eyes on, as you’d expect to see plenty of these in coin rolls moving forward.
Year minted: 2022
Mintage number: 10,000
Estimated value: $10-$20
3. 2021 Mob of Roos
The same goes for the 2022 version of this valuable Australian coin. Since it’s slightly older than the 2022 minting, it fetches a little more in terms of secondary market value. You’ll notice that 2020-2022 coins had lower mintage figures as the global pandemic pushed businesses and customers away from physical currency and into tap-and-go machines.
Year minted: 2021
Mintage number: 160,000
Estimated value: $70
4. 2016 Obverse Design 50th Anniversary of Decimal Currency
This coin is all about celebrating coins – it was released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of decimal currency. It has a unique commemorative design, including the Australian Crown’s design.
Year minted: 2016
Mintage number: 560,000
Estimated value: $50-$100
5. 2014-2018 ANZAC Centenary Commemoration
This iconic bronze rare and valuable Australian Coin celebrates 100 Years of ANZAC. Spanning five years, these are highly sought-after coins for both mint roll and dollar collectors. As with all collectables, the quality of the coin itself matters the most. If it’s an older coin but in better condition, expect a higher price on the secondary market.
Year minted: 2014
Mintage number: 2.19 million
Estimated value: $20-$400
Rare Australian Circulated 50c Coins
1. 2022 Queen Platinum Jubilee
The Royal Australian Mint released the 2022 Queen Platinum Jubilee in both fine silver proof and uncirculated finishes for the Platinum Jubilee for her Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022. On the reverse of the coin, you’ll find The Queen’s royal cypher framed with a lily of the valley’s (one of the Queen’s) favourite flowers and golden wattle, Australia’s national floral emblem.
Year minted: 1985
Mintage number: 70,000 coins
Estimated value: $50-$100
2. 1985 Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Now this rare and valuable Australian coin has been around for a while, since the 80s, to be precise. The design features the Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin.
Year minted: 1985
Mintage number: 1 million
Estimated value: $30-$50
3. 1993 Commonwealth Coat of Arms
The same design as the rare coin above, the 1993 version of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms is also designed by Stuart Devlin.
Year minted: 1993
Mintage number: 1 million
Estimated value: $25
4. 2019 (IRB) Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Valuable Australian coins don’t always come at a super-high price point, like this 2019-issued coin which features the yearly coat of arms design for the 50-cent coin. Turns out this is actually the last coin is the last date to have the effigy of her majesty created by Ian Rank-Broadley (IRB).
Year minted: 2019
Mintage number: 1.1 million
Estimated value: $6
5. 2017 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum
Rare coins in Australia typically mark an important occasion, like this one commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the 25th anniversary of the Mabo decision. Designed in collaboration with Boneta-Marie Mabo, and Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo’s granddaughter, some may even say this symbol is a lot more than just a Monterey exchange.
Year minted: 2017
Mintage number: 1.4 million
Estimated value: $10
Why is the Coin Market So Hot Right Now?
Queen Elizabeth II’s Passing
As we mentioned at the top of this article, the passing of the Queen has not only sent shockwaves throughout the media, but it’s also had a significant impact on the skyrocketing prices of coins. There has been a massive surge in demand for coins printed with the face of Queen Elizabeth II, and collectors are willing to spend. There are a lot of coins out there, with the Queen’s face featured on Australian currency since 1953, and collectors are especially interested in coins released to commemorate significant milestones during her 70-year reign.
Social Media
Joel Kandiah from Perth has taken his passion for all things coins to the next level via social media, self-proclaiming his mission is all about “Numismatics made accessible and fun!” You can check him out on the social media channels below.
- TikTok @thehistoryofmoney
- Instagram @thehistoryof_money
What is Coin Noodling?
Stemming from none other than a TikTok trend, Coin Noodling is when people cash in notes for coins, only to search through their new stash of coins in plight to discover rare coins that could be worth thousands of dollars. Essentially, it’s a quick, semi-sneaky way to make some easy cash because, in the worst-case scenario, you’ll break even.
