The Royal Australian Mint has continued its six-coin series commemorating the ongoing Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Since July 19, the coins have been distributed through supermarkets across Australia with 12 million to be put into circulation. The series includes five Australian Olympic coins, each designed to showcase one of the Olympic Rings, and one Australian Paralympic coin, which is Australia’s first ever multi-coloured $2 coin.
The first of five coins issued as part of the Mint’s Olympic series was this blue $2 coin. (Mint photo)
The new-look series is a symbol of support for all Australian athletes. The Australian Olympic coin incorporates motifs spanning 32 sporting disciplines and the coloured ring on the Paralympic coin is representative of Australia’s team colours.
On July 19, the Australian Olympic $2 coin with the blue Olympic Ring was the first to hit the checkouts, and each week a new coin is released. The Australian Paralympic $2 coin will be the final one, hitting the checkouts on Aug. 22.
The full schedule of release dates includes:
- Week 1: July 19 – Blue
- Week 2: July 25 – Black
- Week 3: Aug. 1 – Red
- Week 4: Aug. 8 – Yellow
- Week 5: Aug. 15 – Green
- Week 6: Aug. 22 – Australian Paralympic Team coin and coin in folder
Royal Australian Mint CEO Ross MacDiarmid said it was a fantastic opportunity for the Mint to show its support for the Olympics.
“We have worked closely with Woolworths to help celebrate our Aussie athletes with this set of commemorative coins. We have used world-class technology to develop Australia’s first multi-coloured $2 coin, a pivotal moment for us to help honour a major event in culture and history. There is so much passion for what we do here, and we are excited to see them in Woolworths stores for Aussie consumers to enjoy.”
In July, 1996 Atlanta Winter Olympic U.S. hockey gold medalist Louise Dobson launched the Royal Australian Mint’s new $2 coins. (Mint photo)
MacDiarmid also told the Sydney Morning Herald the coin series was the perfect chance to support Australia’s athletes: “We get a chance to be able to support the athletes that are actually on the journey to Rio. But we also get to produce coins that get out into Australia, and hopefully many Australians get a chance that they can hang on too.”