Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2008 (No. 5)

The Determination revolves around a small set of tightly defined legal and technical concepts, each expressed in Schedule 1 and the operative clauses.

• Determination under subsection 13A(1): The instrument is made under an express power in the Currency Act 1965, referenced in the heading and in s 3. The text of subsection 13A(1) itself is not reproduced in this Determination, but s 3 expressly links each item in Schedule 1 to the matters required by that subsection: standard composition, standard weight and allowable variation, dimensions, and design. The Determination therefore operationalises the particular ministerial specification power for coinage.
• Specification as legal act: Section 3 prescribes that each Schedule 1 item specifies the coin’s standard composition, standard weight and allowable variation, dimensions, and design. The Determination is therefore not a policy statement but an instrument that fixes physical and graphical attributes in legally specified form.
• Scope and non-derogation: Section 4 states explicitly that the Schedule 1 specifications do not affect any other determination of the specifications of a coin. This is a clause of non-derogation. It indicates the instrument is additive or specific, leaving other determinations intact. Practically this prevents the instrument from being read as repealing or varying other existing coin specifications.
• Technical parameters: The Schedule is organised by item and denomination. For each item the instrument lists: denomination, standard composition, standard weight and allowable variation, maximum diameter, maximum thickness, shape, edge treatment, obverse design, and reverse design. These are the discrete technical variables the Determination fixes. For example, Item 1 fixes a $1 coin with composition described as “Copper, aluminium and nickel”, weight 9.00 g ± 0.28 g, maximum diameter 25.12 mm, maximum thickness 2.80 mm, circular shape and continuously milled edge (Schedule 1, Item 1). Item 2 fixes a $1 coin of not less than 99.9% silver, weight 11.66 g ± 0.24 g, same maximum diameter and thickness, but an edge of 14 segments with 7 milled and 7 plain (Schedule 1, Item 2). Item 3 fixes a $10 coin of not less than 99.99% gold, weight 3.133 g ± 0.090 g, maximum diameter 17.65 mm, maximum thickness 1.58 mm, circular with continuously milled edge (Schedule 1, Item 3).
• Design detail and inscriptions: The Determination is precise about design content. The obverse of each item includes “An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, and the initials ‘IRB’, surrounded by the inscriptions: (a) ‘ELIZABETH II’; and (b) the denomination inscription; and (c) ‘AUSTRALIA 2009’; with dots before and after the denomination inscription” (Schedule 1, Items 1-3 obverse descriptions). The reverse designs across the three items share a common motif: a central circle enclosing a representation of an ox and a small designer’s mark resembling a ‘G’, a flame to the left, a traditional Chinese character meaning ‘ox’ to the right, “2009” above the circle, “YEAR OF THE OX” below the circle, and identical design elements incorporating a representation of a flame in four sectors of the coin (Schedule 1, Items 1-3 reverse descriptions).

Taken together, the main concepts show the Determination is a precise formula for physical and graphic uniformity for designated coin issues. It creates legally required technical specifications to be implemented in minting and in any other context where prescribed coin attributes are relevant.

The Determination directly and indirectly affects several identifiable groups through the technical settings it imposes. The instrument itself does not contain an express list of affected persons, but the legal and economic mechanisms specify who will act, pay, and adapt.

• The Minister and the Royal Australian Mint: The instrument is made by the Minister (NICK SHERRY) under statutory power and its subject is the specification of coins associated with the Royal Australian Mint. The title Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2008 (No. 5) and the Schedule’s function indicate that the Mint will be the operational agent required to produce coins meeting these specifications. Practically, the Mint must manufacture coins to the listed standard compositions (for example “Copper, aluminium and nickel” for Item 1, “Not less than 99.9% silver” for Item 2, “Not less than 99.99% gold” for Item 3), to the weight tolerances and the diameters and thicknesses specified in Schedule 1.
• Coin users and handlers: Banks, cash-handling firms, retailers, transport operators, vending machine operators, arcade operators, parking operators and others who accept, sort or process coins will be affected by changes in coin lines and specifications. The Determination creates two distinct $1 coins that share diameter and thickness but differ in weight and edge treatment, and a separate $10 gold coin with its own dimensions. Any enterprise whose equipment discriminates between coins by weight, diameter, thickness, thickness profile or edge may need to recalibrate or adjust acceptance logic if these coins are introduced into circulation or otherwise used in commerce. The instrument itself does not say whether coins are intended for circulation, collectors, or bullion markets; however the presence of high-purity metal specifications (99.9% silver and 99.99% gold) indicates that the Mint may issue precious-metal coins as collector or commemorative items, which will affect dealers in bullion and numismatic markets.
• Numismatists and collectors: The explicit reverse inscriptions “YEAR OF THE OX” and the heavy design detail suggest commemorative purpose and stakeholder interest among collectors and numismatists. The instrument imposes exact design elements that collectors expect to verify authenticity against. The inclusion of a designer’s mark resembling ‘G’ is a feature that collectors and authenticators will use when evaluating pieces (Schedule 1, reverse descriptions).
• Precious metal market participants and assayers: The silver and gold items are specified by minimum fineness (“Not less than 99.9% silver” and “Not less than 99.99% gold”), a technical attribute important to assayers, refiners, precious metal dealers and investors. The weight tolerances and fineness statements will inform valuation, grading, and sale processes for these coins. The Determination therefore affects valuation chains where metal purity and mass are inputs.
• Equipment manufacturers and calibrators: Producers of coin-acceptors, coin-sorting machines, banknote and coin processing equipment, and related hardware will be affected. The Determination fixes maximum diameter and thickness values and weight tolerances which are key parameters for mechanical and electronic coin validation systems. Where edge treatment differs between two coins with the same diameter and thickness, manufacturers may need to ensure detection logic distinguishes based on edge segmentation and mass differences.
• Regulators and legal advisors: While the instrument itself is narrow, its legal operation and possible interaction with the Currency Act 1965 and other statutory regimes will engage legal advisors and regulators who must understand how a ministerial Determination under s 13A(1) fits into the broader currency regime. The Note reminds readers of registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, which will affect how the instrument is published and accessed.

Who pays: manufacturing costs are borne by the Mint and ultimately by the Commonwealth or the Mint’s commercial operations. Downstream costs are borne by coin handlers, equipment operators and collectors insofar as they must adjust processes, calibrations, and valuations to accommodate the specified coins. Who decides: the Minister exercised statutory authority to make the Determination; the Royal Australian Mint will implement the specifications. What behaviour changes: production processes at the Mint will follow the composition, weight, dimension and design prescriptions, and downstream actors will adapt operations and valuations as required by the new coin specifications.

The Determination does not create a broad regulatory regime of duties and rights; it sets out enforceable specifications that operate as legal requirements for the coins listed. From the text, key operative obligations and entitlements are implicit rather than expressed as standalone duties or rights. The instrument’s provisions define the following operational duties and parameters.

• Duty to specify certain attributes: Section 3 places on the instrument the task of specifying each coin’s standard composition, standard weight and allowable variation, dimensions, and design. The Schedule fulfils that task item by item. The legal duty flows from the Minister’s power under subsection 13A(1) to make such specifications, and the Determination is the instrument through which the duty is discharged. The text does not set out explicit penalty clauses for non-compliance with the specifications; those matters would be located in the parent statute, the Currency Act 1965, or other laws. The Determination itself is the technical statement that the coins must conform to the listed attributes.
• Manufacturing duty for the Mint: While the Determination does not use the word “must” directed at the Royal Australian Mint, the title and content indicate that these specifications are the approved form for the Royal Australian Mint’s coin issues. The Mint, as the operational body, will be expected to produce coins conforming to the listed composition and tolerances. The design descriptions are precise, for example mandating “An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, and the initials ‘IRB’, surrounded by the inscriptions ... ‘AUSTRALIA 2009’; with dots before and after the inscription ‘1 DOLLAR’” for the $1 obverses (Schedule 1, Items 1-2). Those are prescriptive design duties for minting.
• Rights of the Commonwealth to declare specifications: The instrument exemplifies a statutory right vested in the Minister to set coin specifications under the Currency Act 1965. The Determination is the exercise of that right. The text does not create individual private rights tied to the specifications, such as rights to mint or to counterfeit. Private parties do not gain new statutory entitlements from the Determination beyond the predictable uses of coins as money, which the Determination does not itself alter.
• Non-derogation: Section 4 provides that the Schedule 1 specifications “do not affect any other determination of the specifications of a coin.” This creates a duty, in legal effect, for readers and administrators not to treat the Determination as replacing other determinations. Administratively, it limits the Determination’s prospective effect and preserves existing specification determinations.
• Obligation to record and register: The Note indicates that legislative instruments and compilations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. While the Determination does not itself recite the registration mechanics beyond the commencement clause, the instrument’s title and Note indicate it is to be registered, and s 2 makes commencement contingent on registration timing by stating the Determination “commences on the day after it is registered” (s 2).

Limitations and absences:

• No penalty clauses within the Determination: The instrument contains no express enforcement or penalty provisions. Any duty to comply will be enforced under the Currency Act 1965 or other applicable legislation, not within the Determination. Practitioners should consult the parent Act for offences or penalties related to producing non-conforming coinage, counterfeiting, or misrepresentation.
• No alteration of denominations or legal tender status: The instrument specifies denominations for the coins ($1, $1, $10) in Schedule 1, but it does not assert or change the legal tender treatment of those denominations. Any duties or rights concerning legal tender, conversion, exchange or government acceptance are outside the language of this Determination.

In short, the Determination imposes prescriptive technical duties about how particular coins must be composed, weighted, dimensioned and designed, and it records the Minister’s exercise of statutory power. Enforcement and associated duties under the broader currency regulatory framework are not specified within the Determination itself.

The Determination, as reproduced in the instrument, does not set out any penalties, fines, or specific enforcement mechanisms. The text confines itself to specification of coin characteristics and administrative matters such as commencement and name. There are three relevant observations about penalties and enforcement drawn from the instrument’s terms and silences.

• Instrument silence on penalties: There are no penalty provisions in sections 1-4 or in Schedule 1. The Determination prescribes technical specifications for coinage but does not say what happens if coins are produced that do not conform, nor does it identify a regulator or procedure for enforcement. Any sanctioning or enforcement must therefore be located in the Currency Act 1965 or in other statutes. The Determination’s text itself provides no enforcement language.
• Enforcement resides in parent legislation: The Determination is made under subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act 1965. Enforcement of currency standards, offences such as counterfeiting, and related regulatory controls are matters typically governed by the primary statute. Because the Determination does not reproduce those provisions, practitioners must refer to the Currency Act 1965 to identify criminal offences, administrative penalties, or enforcement powers that engage non-compliant coinage. The Determination’s limited role is to state the specifications which enforcement authorities may use as the baseline for assessing conformity.
• Administrative publication and availability: The Note at the end of the instrument points readers to the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments, maintained under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. Registration and publication on that register are part of the administrative machinery that gives the Determination legal visibility and accessibility (Note). Publication is a practical enforcement enabler because it ensures manufacturers, dealers and regulators can access the authoritative specifications. However, publication itself is not an enforcement mechanism and the Determination does not couple publication with sanctions.

Practical enforcement implications, drawn from the specification nature of the Determination:

• Evidentiary use: The Determination provides an authoritative source for what constitutes a conforming coin design or physical attribute as of its commencement. In any subsequent enforcement action or dispute concerning authenticity, counterfeiting, or compliance with coin specifications, Schedule 1 will be a primary evidentiary reference for the specified coins’ standard composition, weight tolerances, dimensions, and design content.
• Administrative compliance by the Mint: The Royal Australian Mint will need to ensure production processes generate coins within the tolerances specified. Failure to do so could create administrative or contractual issues within the Mint’s governance or commercial operations, although the Determination itself does not prescribe the consequences.
• Market and commercial verification: Dealers, assayers and auction houses will rely on the Determination to verify the origin and conformity of collector or bullion coins. While such parties are not enforcement authorities, their market practices can enforce conformity through refusal to trade or by applying discounts for non-conforming items.

In short, enforcement and penalties are not contained in this Determination. The instrument supplies the technical baseline for compliance, with any legal sanctions or enforcement mechanisms to be found in relevant provisions of the Currency Act 1965 or other applicable law, and via administrative practice once the Determination is registered and published.

The Determination is an enactment within the statutory currency regime and interacts with other laws primarily by reference and by administrative linkage. The instrument itself declares its source of power and notes the registration regime for legislative instruments.

• Parent statutory power: The Determination is made under subsection 13A(1) of the Currency Act 1965, which is identified in the instrument header and in s 3. The Determination therefore functions as an exercise of an enabling power conferred by the Currency Act. To understand the legal force, penalties, or other regulatory consequences that attach to the specifications, one must read this Determination alongside the Currency Act 1965. The Determination sets the technical baseline for coin specifications that the parent Act authorises the Minister to determine. The Determination does not itself reproduce the text of subsection 13A(1) or other relevant sections of the Currency Act.
• Non-derogation clause and other determinations: Section 4 states that the specifications in Schedule 1 “do not affect any other determination of the specifications of a coin.” That clause is an internal interface rule between determinations. It means this Determination should be read alongside, and not as replacing, other determinations made under the Currency Act 1965 or equivalent powers. Practically, that preserves the continued operation of other coin-specification determinations. It also structures the legal interaction: where another determination exists for a different coin or for the same denomination under different circumstances, that earlier or different determination remains effective unless expressly repealed.
• Registration and the Legislative Instruments Act 2003: The Note informs readers that “All legislative instruments and compilations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments kept under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.” This links the Determination administratively to the legislative instruments regime. Registration confers accessibility and may have procedural implications such as publication dates and potentially judicial notice, depending on the operation of the Legislative Instruments Act and related administrative law principles. The Determination’s commencement clause (s 2) ties commencement to registration. This means the Determination’s legal operation depends on the administrative steps governed by the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
• Intellectual property, arms-length design elements and effigies: The Determination prescribes an obverse effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the initials ‘IRB’. The instrument does not itself deal with intellectual property rights or licensing for those images. Any separate legal rights associated with an artist’s effigy or sculptor initials, including copyright or licensing arrangements, would be governed by separate intellectual property law and by the contractual arrangements between the Commonwealth and the designer or sculptor. The Determination merely requires their presence in the design.
• Commercial law and bullion markets: The specification of fineness for precious-metal coins (“Not less than 99.9% silver” and “Not less than 99.99% gold”) interacts practically with commercial laws and market practice concerning the sale, valuation and movement of precious metals. While the Determination does not create statutory property rights in bullion, it affects how coins will be represented and priced in commercial contracts, assay certificates, and consumer protections. Those commercial interactions will be governed by contract law and consumer protection statutes outside this Determination, but the Determination supplies the technical facts that underlie commercial representations.
• Criminal law and counterfeit statutes: The Determination’s technical specifics will be relevant to any criminal law questions over counterfeit coinage or fraudulent representations. The Determination does not itself criminalise counterfeiting; those offences are in other statutes. However, Schedule 1’s precise technical elements will be used in investigations and prosecutions to establish what a genuine coin should look like and weigh.

In sum, the Determination is a technical specification instrument that must be read and applied in the context of the Currency Act 1965 and within the administrative framework of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. It preserves other determinations and provides factual inputs for commercial, administrative and criminal law regimes which are located outside the Determination itself.

The instrument provides minimal internal material on amendment history. The following points derive directly from the text of the Determination and its metadata.

• Date of making and maker: The Determination records that it was made by NICK SHERRY, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, and dated 15 May 2008 (instrument header). The title records Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2008 (No. 5). Those are the primary temporal and authorship markers supplied.
• Commencement rule: Section 2 provides the commencement rule: “This Determination commences on the day after it is registered.” There is no express retrospective commencement provision, nor is there any provision for delayed or staged commencement beyond registration. Any amendment or replacement will therefore need to follow the same or a like administrative process under the enabling statute.
• No internal amendments recorded: The text of the Determination does not record any prior versions or amendments. There is no schedule of amendments, no transitional provisions and no repeals of prior determinations recorded in the instrument. Section 4 states the Schedule 1 specifications “do not affect any other determination of the specifications of a coin,” which indicates an intention not to displace other determinations, but it does not record amendments or repeals.
• Registration and publication: The Note directs readers to the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments and the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 for registration and access. Any subsequent amendment history would be recorded on that register. To identify whether this instrument was later amended or replaced, a practitioner would need to consult the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments, which is the repository for enacted legislative instruments and their amendment histories. The Determination itself contains no amendment trail.
• Versioning practices: As a practical point grounded in the instrument text and the Note, amendments to determinations under the Currency Act are commonly effected by fresh determinations that explicitly replace or vary previous ones or that include express repeal language. The lack of repeal language in this instrument suggests it was intended as a standalone specification for particular coin issues rather than as an amendment of earlier Determinations. Any change to these specifications at a later date would require another Determination or an amendment instrument properly registered.

For immediate legal history purposes, the Determination’s only internal historical markers are its name, maker and date, and the commencement rule linking operation to registration. No subsequent amendments are recorded in the instrument itself.

The Determination includes no reference to litigation, and there is no litigation history recorded in the text. The instrument is a technical specification and does not mention any judicial proceedings, appeals, or disputes. From the document itself the following can be stated.

• No suits or references in the instrument: Schedule 1, sections 1-4 and the Note contain no citations to judicial decisions, no references to legal challenges, and no procedural notes about dispute resolution or review. The Determination therefore contains no internal litigation record.
• Practical prospect of litigation: While the Determination contains no litigation history, in practice disputes about coin specifications can arise in contexts such as claims of counterfeit coins, contractual disputes over supply contracts with the Mint, or administrative law challenges to the making of a determination. None of those matters are recorded here, and the instrument itself does not suggest that any litigation was ongoing or anticipated. Any litigation that engages these specifications would be located in court records and not in the Determination.
• How to locate litigation: If litigation had arisen relating to this Determination, it would be found in public court records, tribunal decisions, or in administrative appeals that reference the making of the Determination. The Determination does not provide any cross-reference as to where such disputes would be heard. Practitioners seeking litigation history must search judicial databases and the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments for annotations and subsequent documents.
• Evidential role in litigation: Although there is no recorded litigation in the instrument, Schedule 1 would be central to any court case that turned on whether a coin conformed to the authorized specifications. The Determination functions as the prima facie authoritative statement of what the coins should be, so it would be tendered as evidence in disputes over authenticity or warranty claims concerning the specified coins.

In short, the document contains no litigation history. Any judicial engagement with these specifications must be located through external legal databases and registers.

The Determination is compact and technical, but it contains several features that create practical pitfalls for implementers, commercial users and legal advisers. The following are concrete, document-grounded “gotchas” to watch for, each traced to the instrument text.

• Multiple $1 coins with identical dimensions but different mass and edge treatment: Schedule 1 contains two separate $1 items. Both Item 1 (copper, aluminium and nickel) and Item 2 (not less than 99.9% silver) list the same maximum diameter (25.12 mm) and the same maximum thickness (2.80 mm), yet different standard weights and different edge specifications (Item 1 weight 9.00 g ± 0.28 g, edge “Continuously milled”; Item 2 weight 11.66 g ± 0.24 g, edge “14 segments, of which 7 are milled and 7 are plain”). That produces coins with the same footprint but different mass and edge profile. For coin-validation equipment, vending machines, and other automated acceptance systems which rely on a combination of diameter, thickness and weight to identify denominations, this design may cause acceptance errors or the need for recalibration. Practitioners and operators must not assume all $1 coins will be interchangeable in mechanical acceptors just because diameter and thickness match; the Determination’s data show mass and edge differ (Schedule 1, Items 1-2).
• Precious-metal $1 denomination: Item 2 prescribes a $1 coin of not less than 99.9% silver, weight 11.66 g ± 0.24 g. Precious-metal coins sold by the Mint often function as collector or bullion items rather than as everyday circulation currency. The Determination does not state intended market use, so stakeholders must not assume a silver $1 coin will circulate commonly or be treated the same as circulation coinage for refund, exchange or bank deposit practices. The instrument’s silence on market purpose is a potential source of confusion when comparing legal denomination and market value.
• Designer’s mark and cultural content: The reverse design demands a specific suite of elements, including a small designer’s mark resembling ‘G’, a character in traditional Chinese script meaning ‘ox’, and repeated flame motifs in four sectors (Schedule 1, reverse descriptions). The instrument prescribes precise iconography. Failure to reproduce these exact elements will produce non-conforming coins. In particular, reproducing the Chinese character in simplified rather than traditional script, omitting the designer’s mark, or altering placement of the “2009” or “YEAR OF THE OX” inscriptions would render a piece inconsistent with the Determination. Manufacturers and designers must follow the textual prescription closely.
• Obverse initials ‘IRB’: The obverse is specified to include an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the initials ‘IRB’. These initials identify a particular sculptural effigy style. Any substitution of effigy or omission of the initials would be non-conforming. Without internal cross-references the instrument does not explain the provenance of ‘IRB’, so implementers must verify the required effigy and initials with the Mint’s design specifications to avoid deviation.
• Commencement tied to registration: Section 2 states that the Determination commences on the day after it is registered. Practically, that ties legal operation to administrative registration dates. Documents or production undertaken prematurely may not have the Determination’s legal force until after registration. Always check the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments for the registration date to determine the actual commencement of legal effect.
• “Do not affect any other determination” caveat: Section 4 explicitly says the Schedule 1 specifications do not affect other determinations. A reader might assume the Determination supersedes prior specifications for the same denominations; the instrument prevents that assumption. Where multiple determinations exist, practitioners must collate applicable determinations rather than rely on this instrument alone.
• No enforcement text in the instrument: Because the Determination contains no penalties or enforcement mechanisms, a reader seeking to understand the consequences of non-conforming coin production must consult the Currency Act 1965 and possibly other statutes. Assuming enforcement regimes or criminal penalties from this Determination alone would be an error.
• Year-specific inscription: Each obverse requires the inscription “AUSTRALIA 2009” and the reverse requires “2009” above the central circle. This makes the Determination year-specific. Manufacturing coins dated incorrectly will produce pieces that are non-conforming to Schedule 1. Practically, this binds the coin issue to the 2009 date and can affect resale, authentication and cataloguing practices.

Each of these “gotchas” arises directly from the literal text of Schedule 1 or the operative clauses. Implementers, coin users and legal advisers should treat the Schedule as the authoritative technical standard and ensure production, calibration and commercial practices are aligned precisely with the prescribed attributes.

Compliance with this Determination is a technical exercise in design fidelity, metallurgical accuracy and manufacturing tolerance control. The Determination provides an explicit checklist of attributes; adhering to it requires the following actions mapped to the instrument’s elements.

1. Confirm legal commencement and registration status

• Before producing or validating coins purporting to conform to the Determination, confirm the instrument’s registration date on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments. Section 2 links commencement to registration, stating the Determination “commences on the day after it is registered.” Ensure any production or public claims about coins are dated on or after the Determination’s commencement date.

2. Follow the Schedule 1 checklist for each item

• Use Schedule 1 as the authoritative specification. For each coin, verify and document compliance with the following fields as listed in the Schedule:
  • Denomination (Item 1: $1; Item 2: $1; Item 3: $10).
  • Standard composition (Item 1: “Copper, aluminium and nickel”; Item 2: “Not less than 99.9% silver”; Item 3: “Not less than 99.99% gold”).
  • Standard weight and allowable variation (Item 1: 9.00 g ± 0.28 g; Item 2: 11.66 g ± 0.24 g; Item 3: 3.133 g ± 0.090 g).
  • Maximum diameter (Items 1-2: 25.12 mm; Item 3: 17.65 mm).
  • Maximum thickness (Items 1-2: 2.80 mm; Item 3: 1.58 mm).
  • Shape (all items: Circular).
  • Edge (Item 1: Continuously milled; Item 2: 14 segments, of which 7 are milled and 7 are plain; Item 3: Continuously milled).
  • Obverse design: Each requires “An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, and the initials ‘IRB’, surrounded by the inscriptions: (a) ‘ELIZABETH II’; and (b) the denomination inscription; and (c) ‘AUSTRALIA 2009’; with dots before and after the denomination inscription.” Ensure exact inscription wording, punctuation (dots), capitalization and placement.
  • Reverse design: Each requires the detailed motif set out in Schedule 1: central circle with representation of an ox and a small designer’s mark resembling a ‘G’, flame to left, traditional Chinese character meaning ‘ox’ to right, “2009” above, “YEAR OF THE OX” below, and in four sectors identical design elements incorporating a representation of a flame. All these elements must be present, in the correct script (traditional Chinese character) and placement.

3. Metallurgical and weight controls

• For precious-metal issues, maintain assay records and certificates confirming fineness: not less than 99.9% silver for Item 2, and not less than 99.99% gold for Item 3. The Determination mandates minimum fineness standards but does not prescribe assay methods; nevertheless, producers should use standard assay laboratories and maintain traceable records.
• Implement production tolerances to ensure produced coins fall within the specified weight ranges. For example, Item 1 coins must be 9.00 g within ±0.28 g. Control processes for blanking, striking and finishing must be calibrated to deliver reliable sample conformance. Maintain internal quality control sampling and documentation to demonstrate conformity.

4. Dimensional conformity and edge profiling

• Validate diameter and thickness measurements under calibrated gauges to ensure maximum dimension limits are not exceeded (25.12 mm diameter, 2.80 mm thickness for the $1 coins; 17.65 mm diameter, 1.58 mm thickness for the $10 coin).
• Implement precise edge treatments. For Item 2 a segmented edge to produce 14 segments with 7 milled and 7 plain is required. Edge tooling must be designed to produce those segments in the prescribed pattern.

5. Design fidelity and licensing considerations

• Secure the correct obverse effigy and ensure the presence of initials ‘IRB’ as specified. Confirm any contractual or intellectual property arrangements with the effigy artist or rights holder so that reproduction rights are cleared.
• Ensure the reverse’s Chinese character is rendered in traditional script as required. Do not substitute simplified script. Ensure the designer’s mark resembling ‘G’ and the flame motifs in the four sectors are reproduced verbatim to Schedule 1 specifications. Use authorised master dies or artwork supplied or approved by the Mint.

6. Record-keeping and publication compliance

• Maintain documentary evidence of compliance: manufacturing logs, assay certificates, weight test reports, photographic records of finished dies, and quality assurance certificates. These records will be necessary to show conformity in administrative, commercial or legal contexts.
• Ensure the Determination itself is correctly cited in product descriptions, and that promotional or sales materials do not misrepresent the factual specifications.

7. Downstream stakeholder engagement

• Inform commercial partners such as banks, vending machine operators, public transport authorities, cash-in-transit companies and major retailers about the new coin specifications and any equipment calibration requirements, especially given the presence of two $1 coins with identical diameters and thickness but different masses and edge treatments. Early engagement reduces the risk of acceptance problems.
• For precious metal issues, coordinate with bullion dealers, assayers and customs agents about classification, valuation and export/import requirements for high-fineness metal coins.

8. Legal verification

• Because the Determination does not set penalties nor does it alter other determinations, consult the Currency Act 1965 and legal counsel to confirm any obligations concerning legal tender status, counterfeiting offences, or disclosure obligations tied to issuing coins of particular metal content and face value. The Determination itself prescribes only the physical and design attributes (s 3; Schedule 1).

9. Respect s 4 non-derogation

• When implementing or referencing these specifications, ensure they are not read as replacing other determinations. If multiple determinations apply to similar denominations, prepare a compliance crosswalk showing which determination governs which coin type, consistent with s 4.

10. Audit readiness

• Prepare to tender the Determination and supporting manufacturing records in any administrative review or commercial dispute. Because the Determination contains no enforcement text, relying parties will look to the Currency Act and to the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments for the instrument’s legal context.

Following these steps will ensure that coins manufactured or represented as conforming to Currency (Royal Australian Mint) Determination 2008 (No. 5) meet the precise composition, mass, dimensional and design requirements set out in Schedule 1, while also aligning operational, commercial and legal processes that interact with those coins.