Today, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Australia’s most famous dinosaur and much loved friend of The Wiggles, was on hand at the Royal Australian Mint (the Mint) to mint the first coin in the world for 2022.
Dorothy the Dinosaur said, “It was such an honour to be invited to press the first coin of 2022 and I’m particularly pleased that it features a dinosaur! I can’t wait to show the coin to my Wiggly friends and hope that it encourages more people to find out about all the different dinosaurs that lived in Australia.”
People from across Australia entered into a ballot in the hopes of winning the highly sought after first coin of the year, this year with the theme Dinosaurs Down Under.
Royal Australian Mint CEO, Leigh Gordon, highlighted the importance of showcasing Australia’s unique and diverse range of dinosaurs.
“Most of the dinosaurs in popular culture are not found in Australia. We want to change that narrative with these coins.
“The coin itself features one of Australia’s earliest dinosaur predators, the carnivorous Australovenator dinosaur, in both its fossilised and live forms. The packaging of the coin also highlights Australian Dinosaurs, with five different cards to collect.”
Mr Gordon also announced Anne Raisbeck from the Upper Hunter region as the lucky winner of the Mint’s nationwide First Coin of the Year online ballot.
As the winner of the First Coin of the Year, Ms Raisbeck will received a unique, one-of-a-kind coin set that includes the First Coin of the Year and accompanying Certificate of Authenticity, as well as the Dinosaurs Down Under ‘C’ Mintmark and Privy coin set and the Dinosaurs Down Under Silver Proof coin.
In previous years, the Mint’s First Coin of the Year Event attracted hundreds of keen coin collectors to the Mint in the hope that they will get to press the first coin. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the event was made digital for 2021 and 2022.
Mr Gordon remarked on the importance of ensuring this much loved event went ahead despite the unprecedented circumstances presented in 2021.
“The First Coin of the Year event is one of the most important events for the coin collector community, and after the challenging year we have all had, we wanted to be able to keep the First Coin of the Year tradition alive, in whatever way possible.
The newly released Dinosaurs Down Under 2022 Gallery Press and Mintmark Suite coins are legal tender. Visitors can mint their own Dinosaur themed coin on the Gallery Press at the Mint in Canberra from 8.30am on 4 January 2022.
The coins included in the Mintmark Suite can be purchase from the Mint’s eShop or by contacting the Call Centre on 1300 652 020.
