Coins

Australia has some neat-o money. I've started a coin collection from the change I get. Who would've thought there'd be simple joy in getting some new coin you've never seen before, but there it is! I do have to say though that for some strange reason, the value and size of the money are inversely proportional... $2 coins are the smallest and the 50 cent pieces are your pocket's worst nightmare.

They have a lot of special coins but while I'm still trying to figure out how to photograph them (tips anyone?) here's the easy ones.



5 cent coins... There's no pennies here. On the top left is the face side of the newer coins, with the old Queen Elizabeth II, on the right are the older coins with young QE-II (you never do hear women called "jr." do you?). She's on pretty much every piece of currency somewhere. The switch from young to old happened in the 1980's I think? On the flip side is the wombat... or is the platypus? There's animals on the flipside of every coin, but I'll try to get back to that later.




10 cent coins. Queen Elizabeth again, old and new. I'm fairly sure the back side is a peacock?

The 5 and 10 cent coins don't have any commemorative issues, it just seems like they've always been the way they are now. Compare that with the $1 coins which seem different every year. Strangely, $2 coins are all the same, except of course for Elizabeth with jowls and without. Tom