A $5 coin is not something one sees everyday in Australia - or really at all.
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To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Australia, however, the Royal Australian Mint has released a striking collectible coin.
The $5 coin joins a long list of coins issued by the mint to commemorate important royal events.
The designer behind the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games medals, Wojciech Pietranik, was given the honour of designing the coin for the Queen's visit.
Royal Australian Mint chief executive Ross MacDiarmid said, ''After we realised it would be the Queen's 16th visit, we knew that we would use 16 crowns in the design.''
The coin features 16 St Edward's crowns arranged in rows of four in the centre of the coin - one for each visit the Queen has made to Australia since taking the throne. The St Edward's crown is used in British coronations. Inscribed around the edge of the face are the words, ''Her Majesty the Queen Royal Visit Australia 2011.''
Although it looks like gold, the coin is made of an aluminium, zinc and bronze mix. The coin's design was approved by the Queen, a process royal-themed designs must go through before they can be issued by the mint. Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten launched the coin yesterday in anticipation of the Queen's arrival in Canberra tomorrow.
''The Royal Australian Mint has a long and proud association in celebrating milestones of the royal family,'' Mr Shorten said.
The $5 coin will join a circulated $1 coin unveiled in July to mark the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, which the Queen will be attending.
The mint is putting together a montage that will hopefully be seen by the Queen - a collection of images of coins minted in commemoration of birthdays, anniversaries and major events in the royal family since the mint was opened in 1965 by Prince Philip.