Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994

The Determination uses a consistent set of technical terms and concepts to control the physical attributes of coins. The principal concepts are:

• Standard composition: Each clause identifies a "standard composition" or a description of metal content for the coin type. Examples include "the standard composition of which includes copper and nickel" for the 50 cent coin (clause 4(1)), "includes copper, aluminium and nickel" for the standard $1 coin (clause 5(1)), 92.5% silver with 7.5% other metal for several $1 and $5 and $10 silver-denominated coins (clauses 6(1), 8(1), 9(1)), and not less than 99.9% silver for specified fine silver coins (clauses 7(1), 10(1)).

• Shape: Clauses specify whether the coin is circular or, in the case of the 50 cent piece, dodecahedral (clause 4(2)). Where circular, further attributes continue to be specified.

• Edge: The Determination prescribes the edge finish as plain, milled, segmented milled/plain patterns, or coarse milled/plain segmentation. For example, the 50 cent coin edge is plain (clause 4(3)); the standard $1 coin has 14 segments of which 7 are milled and 7 are plain (clause 5(3)); one $1 silver coin edge is milled and the other is segmented in the same 14-segment pattern (clause 6(3)-(4)); a 99.9% silver $1 second variant has 12 segments of which 6 are coarse milled and 6 are plain (clause 7(4)).

• Standard weight and allowable variation: Each coin type has a declared "standard weight" and an allowed deviation from that standard. For example, the 50 cent coin has a standard weight of 15.55 grams with a permitted variation of 0.40 grams (clause 4(4)-(5)); the standard $1 coin is 9.00 grams with permitted variation 0.28 grams (clause 5(4)-(5)); fine silver coins have higher weights and different permitted variations (clauses 7(5)-(6), 9(4)-(6), 10(4)-(5)).

• Diameter and thickness: Diameter (millimetres) and thickness (millimetres) are specified in each clause for the relevant coin or variants (for example, the 50 cent coin diameter 31.65 mm and thickness 2.80 mm, clause 4(6)-(7); $1 diameter 25.12 mm and thickness 2.80 mm, clause 5(6)-(7)).

• Obverse and reverse design elements and inscriptions: Each coin's obverse is required to bear an effigy of the Queen and specific inscriptions in prescribed wording for all coins covered (for example, "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995" across multiple clauses; see clause 4(8), clause 5(8), clause 6(9), clause 7(9), clause 8(8), clause 9(10), clause 10(8)). Reverse devices are specified with precise pictorial subject matter and wording; examples include an effigy of Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop and inscriptions "THEY SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN WORLD WAR II 1939 - 1945" and "'WEARY' DUNLOP" and "50" for the 50 cent coin (clause 4(9)); a representation of a swagman with the inscriptions "WALTZING MATILDA 1895 - 1995", "A.B. 'BANJO' PATERSON" and "1 DOLLAR" for the $1 and some $1 silver coins (clauses 5(9), 6(10)).

• Multiple variants per denomination: The Determination creates multiple authorised variants for the same nominal denomination. For $1 and $10 denominations, both base metal and silver alloys are authorised with differing weights, diameters, edge finishes and reverse designs (clauses 5, 6, 7, 9, 10). For the $5 denomination there are five distinct reverse designs authorised for coins of the same face value (clause 8).

• Non-derogation clause: Clause 3 states that this Determination does not affect any other determinations of coin specifications or designs, thereby preserving the existence of other previously or subsequently made determinations.

Those concepts together make the Determination a technical regulatory instrument designed to define the material and pictorial identity of legal coinage issues covered in the instrument.

The Determination is addressed to the executive function that issues coins under the Currency Act 1965 and the supply chain that designs, manufactures, inspects and uses Australian coinage. The text itself is an executive instrument; the person making it is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer acting for the Treasurer (heading and citation). The Determination sets the required physical attributes for official coin issues and therefore has practical effect on the following parties, drawn from the content of the instrument:

• The coin issuer and manufacturer: Any entity responsible for producing coins under authority of the Currency Act must produce coins conforming to the technical requirements in the Determination. The instrument specifies composition descriptors, shape, edge, exact weights and tolerances, diameters and thicknesses, and the required obverse and reverse motifs and inscriptions (see clauses 4-10). Those technical requirements dictate minting processes, dies, tooling, metal procurement and quality control regimes.

• Designers and artists employed to prepare dies and reverse/obverse devices: The Determination prescribes precise pictorial subjects and exact inscriptions to appear on reverses and obverses for each coin variant. Persons supplying artwork or dies must deliver work matching the textual descriptions and legend text in the relevant clause (for example, "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995" on obverse, and the precise legend strings on reverse such as "WALTZING MATILDA 1895 - 1995" and "A.B. 'BANJO' PATERSON" in clauses 5(8)-(9)).

• Coin-handling intermediaries: Banks, cash-in-transit operators, vending machine operators and coin-sorting equipment manufacturers are affected insofar as they rely on consistent physical attributes of coins for handling, acceptance and sorting. The Determination prescribes diameters, thicknesses, weights and edge profiles that matter to mechanical and electronic coin-handling equipment (for instance, dodecahedral 50 cent coins at 31.65 mm diameter and 2.80 mm thickness, clause 4(2), (6)-(7)).

• Collectors and dealers in numismatics: The Determination documents authorised designs and metal compositions, which are relevant to the categorisation and authentication of specimens. The instrument authorises multiple variants per denomination, including precious metal and base metal versions, which collectors and dealers must distinguish using the technical attributes stated (see clauses 6-10).

• Fiscal and accounting functions in government and commercial entities: Any entity required to account for face value coin stocks or to process coin stock records will need to account for multiple authorised variants with different intrinsic compositions and weights. The Determination’s specifications supply the precise quantifiers to be recorded.

The Determination does not itself specify who funds production or who legally owns coin stocks; it does not state administrative cost allocations. It also does not include express procedural provisions for approval or modification; it is a single prescriptive instrument. Clause 3 makes plain that it co-exists with other determinations rather than supplanting them.

The Determination is primarily prescriptive rather than rights-conferring. Its operative duties are implicit in the text because it sets mandatory specifications for coin design and manufacture. The key operational duties and consequential practical rights or expectations derivable from the clauses are these:

• Duty to conform designs and physical attributes to the text: For coins of the denominations and variants named, the Determination specifies required attributes such as composition descriptors, shape, edge characteristics, standard weight and permissible variation, diameter, thickness, and obverse and reverse devices and inscriptions. For example, a 50 cent coin as specified in clause 4 must be dodecahedral (clause 4(2)), weigh 15.55 grams with a permitted variation of 0.40 grams (clauses 4(4)-(5)), and carry the specified obverse and reverse motifs and inscriptions (clauses 4(8)-(9)). The obligation to adhere to those attributes follows from the prescriptive character of the Determination.

• Duty to observe weight tolerances and dimensions: Each coin clause lists a standard weight together with an allowable variation. Manufacturing processes must be set to meet those tolerances (for example, the standard $1 coin weight 9.00 grams with a permitted variation of 0.28 grams, clause 5(4)-(5)). Diameter and thickness parameters are also mandatory measures (clause 5(6)-(7)).

• Duty to reproduce prescribed inscriptions and portraits faithfully: The obverse of all coins in the Determination is required to bear an effigy of the Queen and certain inscriptions such as "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995" (see clauses 4(8), 5(8), 6(9), 7(9), 8(8), 9(10), 10(8)). Reverse inscriptions are specified in detail for each variant and include punctuation, dates and name formatting as set out in the clauses. Reproduction of these textual strings and effigies as specified is a practical requirement.

• Duty to respect multiple authorised variants: Several denominations are authorised in more than one composition or design. The manufacturer must ensure that when more than one variant is produced the correct combination of composition, edge, weight, inscription and device is applied to each authorised variant (see clauses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).

• Rights of the issuer or authorised mint: The Determination, as a product of executive decision under the Currency Act 1965, confers on the issuer or authorized agent the authority to produce coins in the forms specified. The instrument itself does not set out administrative arrangements for issuance or distribution, but it implicitly authorises minting along the stated lines.

• Limitations on effect: Clause 3 affirms that this Determination does not affect other determinations of coin specifications or design. Practically, that means duties set out here sit alongside other determinations rather than replacing them, so parties must consult related determinations where multiple instruments may apply.

The Determination contains no express private rights for third parties, no licensing framework, and no express enforcement procedures or penalties within its text. Any legal rights or obligations beyond the prescriptive duties to make coins to the specified attributes must be traced to the Currency Act 1965 or other instruments, as the Determination itself is confined to technical specification.

The Determination contains no provisions creating offences, penalties, or enforcement procedures within its text. The operative clauses consist only of citation and commencement (clauses 1 and 2), a non-derogation clause (clause 3), and the technical specifications and design descriptions for the enumerated coin types (clauses 4 through 10). There is no clause in the instrument that sets out enforcement powers, infringement processes, sanctions, or enforcement agencies.

Because the Determination is made under the Currency Act 1965 (stated at the head of the document), any criminal or civil sanctions, compliance mechanisms or administrative enforcement that apply to coin production, counterfeiting, or misuse would need to be located in the parent statute or in other subordinate instruments. The Determination itself does not provide those references or reproduce such statutory material.

Practically, the absence of enforcement text means the Determination is a technical prescription. In matters of compliance or alleged non-conformity, the relevant questions for a practitioner will be: which statutory provisions in the Currency Act 1965 (or other Acts) provide enforcement powers, how do those provisions interact with determinations, and which agencies are authorised to act. None of that material is contained in this Determination. Clause 3 emphasises that other determinations continue to exist; a comprehensive enforcement strategy will therefore require consulting the Currency Act 1965 and any other determinations and instruments that create penalties or enforcement routes.

Because the Determination is silent on enforcement, parties involved in production and handling of coins should treat compliance as a mandatory technical requirement arising from a statutory determination, and seek the Currency Act 1965 and any administrative guidance for the correct enforcement and penalty context.

The Determination is a subordinate instrument made under the Currency Act 1965. The opening line makes this explicit: the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer made the Determination under the Currency Act 1965. Clause 3 directly addresses interaction with other determinations by stating the Determination "does not affect any other determination of the specifications or design of a coin." That is an express non-derogation clause preserving other determinations.

Beyond that, the Determination contains no cross-references to specific sections of the Currency Act 1965, no references to other statutes, and no procedural or administrative interaction clauses. The instrument therefore operates as a standalone technical specification that must be read alongside the Currency Act 1965 and any other subordinate instruments regulating coin design, production, issue, legal tender status and enforcement. The Determination does not state whether it amends, revokes or consolidates any prior determinations; it only affirms it does not affect other determinations of coin specifications.

Practically, interaction points to note from the instrument itself are:

• Co-existence with other determinations: Clause 3 requires readers to be alert for other determinations in force that set specifications for other denominations or different variants. To establish the complete legal picture for coin design and issuance, one must collate this Determination with other determinations that may still be operative.

• Authority under the Currency Act 1965: Because the Determination is made "under the Currency Act 1965," its legal force as a specification depends on the parent statute's delegations and the circumstances in which determinations are authorised. The Determination does not reproduce delegations or limits found in the Currency Act 1965, nor does it state procedural requirements for making or registering determinations. For those matters, the parent Act must be consulted.

• No express override or contradiction clause: The Determination contains no clause that purports to override inconsistent law. Clause 3 instead preserves other determinations, indicating the instrument is intended to augment rather than replace the corpus of coin-specification instruments.

• Administrative registration: The scanned document includes an administrative notation identifying the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments number F2008B00106. The Determination text contains no extant amendment or repeal language. To understand legal sequencing and primacy among determinations, practitioners should compare dates and registration details in the official register.

In sum, this Determination interacts with other law by being an instrument made under the Currency Act 1965 and by expressly preserving other determinations. For enforcement, legal effects, and any interaction with criminal or civil sanctions, readers must consult the Currency Act 1965 and other instruments not included in this text.

The Determination itself records its making date and commencement date. The instrument is dated 19 December 1994 in the maker's signature block and states that it "commences on 21 December 1994" (heading information and clause 2). There is an internal administrative notation "94M273, 14/12/94" appearing on the scanned copy and a Federal Register of Legislative Instruments identifier F2008B00106 printed on the document; however, the Determination contains no clauses that amend, revoke, replace, or vary previous determinations. Clause 3 expressly states that this Determination "does not affect any other determination of the specifications or design of a coin." That language indicates the instrument is intended to exist alongside any other determinations rather than to amend or repeal them.

The text provided contains no subsequent amendment clauses, no expiry or sunset clauses, and no schedules indicating transitional arrangements. It does not record any later amendments or revocations within the instrument itself. The only documentary traces beyond the operative clauses are the administrative notations already noted.

For a reader requiring an authoritative amendment history (for example to determine whether clauses have been amended, superseded or repealed since the 1994 commencement), the Determination does not provide that history. The presence of the Federal Register identifier and the administrative code suggests the document has been registered in administrative systems, but the Determination does not catalogue any later modifications. Therefore, to establish a full amendment history, one must consult the Currency Act 1965, the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments, and any repositories of determinations to see whether this Determination has been subsequently amended, replaced, or revoked. None of that material is reproduced or summarised within the Determination text provided.

The Determination text contains no references to litigation, court proceedings, or judicial consideration. There are no cases named in the instrument, no references to judicial authority, and no indication within the Determination that it has been the subject of dispute in any tribunal or court. The instrument is a technical specification document and does not itself report or summarise any litigation.

For practitioners interested in litigation history, the absence of case references in this instrument means that any legal disputes involving the Determination (for example disputes about conformity, counterfeit claims, or challenges to the validity of the Determination) are not recorded here. Establishing whether any litigation has occurred will require searching external legal databases and court records for proceedings that reference Currency Determination No. 5 of 1994 or disputes about the specific coin designs and attributes set out in clauses 4-10. The Determination itself does not provide guidance on that point.

Because the instrument preserves other determinations (clause 3), litigation that engages coin specifications could involve multiple determinations; again, the Determination contains no cross-references to such proceedings. The text as supplied is silent on adjudicative history.

The Determination’s detailed technical prescriptions create several practical risks and traps for implementers and users that follow directly from the clauses. The following are concrete items to watch for when working with this instrument.

• Multiple authorised variants for identical face values: The instrument authorises multiple distinct coins for the same denomination. For example, clause 5 authorises a standard $1 coin in base metals, clause 6 authorises two $1 coins in 92.5% silver, and clause 7 authorises two $1 coins in not less than 99.9% silver. Clause 8 authorises five different $5 reverse designs in 92.5% silver. Clause 9 authorises two 92.5% silver $10 coins with different weights (20 g and 40 g) and clause 10 authorises two 99.9% silver $10 coins of the same diameter but different edge treatment and standard weight. The practical effect is that a single face value can appear in multiple metal contents and multiple physical profiles. Users should be careful to identify which variant they are handling or processing because physical attributes and intrinsic metal content differ.

• Close weight tolerances: Each coin has a stated standard weight together with a permitted variation. Some of the permitted deviations are relatively narrow in absolute terms (for example, the standard $1 coin weight 9.00 grams with variation 0.28 grams, clause 5(4)-(5)); the 50 cent coin allows 0.40 grams variation around 15.55 grams (clause 4(4)-(5)). Manufacturing control and quality assurance processes must be adequate to meet these tolerances. For coin-handling equipment calibrated to precise mass or density thresholds, slight variations may trigger rejection or misclassification.

• Different edge treatments for visually similar coins: Several coins share similar diameters and obverse inscriptions but differ in edge and composition. For instance, clause 6(3)-(4) authorises a 92.5% silver $1 coin where one variant's edge is milled and the other's edge consists of 14 segments of 7 milled and 7 plain. Clause 7(3)-(4) notes a milled edge for the first fine-silver $1 and a 12-segment pattern with 6 coarse milled and 6 plain segments for the second. Practically, this means edge-reading mechanisms or manual inspection must account for segmentation patterns to differentiate variants.

• Shape differences matter: The 50 cent coin is dodecahedral (clause 4(2)), while all other coins listed are circular. Dodecahedral coins have a different interaction with coin acceptors, sorters and counting equipment. Systems that assume circular geometry could misfeed or reject the dodecahedral 50 cent coin if not adjusted accordingly.

• Identical obverse inscriptions and dates across variants: The obverse of every coin authorised in the instrument bears an effigy of the Queen and the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995" (see clauses 4(8), 5(8), 6(9), 7(9), 8(8), 9(10), 10(8)). The consistent obverse means identification of variants must rely on reverse devices, edge treatment, weight and composition tests, not on obverse legends.

• Precious metal variations within identical nominal denominations: The Determination authorises not less than 99.9% silver coins as well as coins of 92.5% silver and base metal compositions for the same face values. Because metal content differs, the intrinsic metal value of some variants could materially diverge from face value. The Determination does not provide guidance on sale pricing, secondary market handling or legal treatment of coins with intrinsic metal value above face value. Those matters are external to this document but are practical consequences of the composition choices in clauses 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

• Two $10 coins sharing the same diameter but differing in weight and thickness: Clauses 9 and 10 both give 34.10 mm diameter for $10 variants. Clause 9 lists two 92.5% silver $10 coins with standard weights 20.00 g and 40.00 g and thicknesses 2.90 mm and 5.10 mm respectively (clauses 9(4)-(9)). Clause 10 sets 99.9% silver $10 coins at 20.77 g and thickness 2.90 mm (clauses 10(4)-(7)). Using diameter alone to distinguish $10 variants is insufficient; weight and thickness must be measured to tell them apart.

• Precise inscription spelling and punctuation: Reverse inscriptions are given as exact strings (for example, clause 4(9)(a)-(b) and clause 5(9)(a)-(b)). Small differences in punctuation, date presentation and apostrophe usage are specified in the instrument. Reproductions that deviate from the textual inscriptions in clauses could be non-conforming even if pictorial elements are correct.

• Clause 3’s preservation of other determinations: Clause 3 makes clear that other determinations remain unaffected. Implementers must collate all applicable determinations to ensure they are not inadvertently relying on a different instrument or an older specification.

These are concrete operational traps that follow from the Determination’s technical content. They are not legal conclusions about liability or enforcement, because the Determination does not set out sanctions or administrative arrangements. They are points of care for manufacturers, equipment calibrators, and coin handlers.

The Determination sets mandatory technical specifications; compliance means producing and handling coins that match those specifications precisely. The following practical checklist and steps are grounded in the clauses of the Determination and are aimed at organisations involved in minting, quality control, distribution and coin-handling.

1. Identify the applicable clause for the coin variant you intend to produce or certify. The Determination breaks down by denomination and variant. Use clause 4 for the 50 cent coin; clause 5 for the standard $1 base-metal coin; clauses 6 and 7 for $1 silver variants; clause 8 for $5 silver coins (five variants); clauses 9 and 10 for $10 coins in 92.5% and 99.9% silver respectively.

2. Confirm material composition wording and procure metal to specification. Each clause specifies a standard composition descriptor:

   • 50 cent: "standard composition of which includes copper and nickel" (clause 4(1));
   • standard $1: "includes copper, aluminium and nickel" (clause 5(1));
   • 92.5% silver coins: "standard composition ... consists of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal" (clauses 6(1), 8(1), 9(1));
   • 99.9% silver coins: "standard composition ... includes not less than 99.9% silver" (clauses 7(1), 10(1)). Ensure procurement and assay standards are in place to verify alloy percentages.

3. Set up manufacturing tolerances to achieve standard weight and permitted variation. For each variant, configure blanking, annealing and coining processes so that finished coins have the "standard weight" within the allowed variation stated in each clause (for example, 50 cent 15.55 g ± 0.40 g, clause 4(4)-(5); standard $1 9.00 g ± 0.28 g, clause 5(4)-(5); fine silver $1 31.635 g ± 0.50 g, clause 7(5)-(6)).

4. Machine specifications for diameter and thickness. Tooling must be set to produce the required diameter and thickness for each coin type (for example, 50 cent diameter 31.65 mm, thickness 2.80 mm, clause 4(6)-(7); $10 silver coins diameter 34.10 mm, clause 9(7) and clause 10(6)). Because some denominations share diameter but differ in thickness and weight (clauses 9 and 10), thickness and weight control are essential for variant separation.

5. Edge finishing and segmentation tooling. The Determination prescribes precise edge finishes: plain, milled, segmented patterns with specified numbers of segments and milled/plain counts, or coarse milled segments (see clause 4(3); clause 5(3); clause 6(3)-(4); clause 7(3)-(4)). Configure edge mills and segmenting dies to match the clause-by-clause descriptions.

6. Obverse and reverse dies to match textual inscription and motif requirements. Every clause that sets out obverse and reverse devices also prescribes exact inscriptions. For example, obverse inscriptions are consistently "ELIZABETH II", "AUSTRALIA" and "1995" (clauses 4(8), 5(8), 6(9), etc.). Reverse inscriptions include exact strings such as "WALTZING MATILDA 1895 - 1995" and "A.B. 'BANJO' PATERSON" (clause 5(9)). Die designs must be reviewed against the text for spelling, date form, apostrophes and hyphenation.

7. Implement quality control and sampling protocols that measure mass, diameter, thickness, edge profile and composition. Because weight and composition tolerances are narrow, a statistically grounded sampling regime is required to ensure compliance. Document assay results for silver percentages and maintain records that can demonstrate compliance.

8. Recordkeeping and archives. Maintain records of artwork approvals, die proofs, production runs, assay certificates, weight checks and any deviations discovered. Given clause 3’s preservation of other determinations, maintain a file of all determinations and administrative documents that authorised the production, including the Currency Act 1965 authority.

9. Coordinate with coin-handling and distribution partners. Because physical attributes affect mechanical acceptance, notify banks, cash-in-transit companies and vending machine operators of the exact specifications when new variants are released. Provide technical sheets reproducing the clause references for their calibration teams.

10. Where designs include named persons or portraits, ensure permission and clearances exist if required by other administrative processes. The Determination itself names persons and images to be used (for example, Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop on the 50 cent reverse, clause 4(9)). The instrument prescribes the designs to be used; however, administrative or contractual clearances required outside the Determination should be checked against the issuing authority’s internal policies.

11. Legal cross-checks. The Determination does not set enforcement or legal tender rules. For legal compliance, consult the Currency Act 1965 for authority to issue coins, legal tender status, and any statutory compliance obligations. Clause 3 reserves other determinations, so verify whether other determinations impose additional requirements.

12. Distinguish between collector and circulation issues. The Determination authorises both base metal circulation-style coins and precious metal coins, which may be sold as collector items or held as bullion. Align marketing, pricing and sales practices with the contract and legal framework applicable to such issues, and ensure records show which variants were intended for circulation versus collector sale.

This checklist is strictly grounded in the content and structure of the Determination. It focuses on meeting the exact text-based technical requirements set out in clauses 4 to 10, and on practical steps for production, quality assurance and coordination with downstream coin users.