Australian ten-cent coin facts for kids
| Australia | |
| Value | 0.10 AUD |
|---|---|
| Mass | 5.65 g |
| Diameter | 23.60 mm |
| Thickness | 2.00 mm |
| Edge | milled |
| Composition | 75% Copper, 25% Nickel |
| Years of minting | 1966–present |
| Catalog number | — |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia |
| Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design date | 1999 |
| Reverse | |
 |
|
| Design | Male superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) |
| Designer | Stuart Devlin |
| Design date | 1966 |
The Australian ten-cent coin is a coin used in Australia. It's part of the Australian dollar currency system. This coin was first made on February 14, 1966. It was introduced when Australia switched from pounds to dollars. The ten-cent coin took the place of the old "shilling" coin. Both coins were worth one-twentieth of a pound. When it first came out, it was the fourth smallest coin. Since the one and two cent coins were stopped in 1992, it's now the second smallest coin you can find.
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Where Australian 10-Cent Coins Are Made
When the ten-cent coin was first made in 1966, about 30 million coins were produced in London, England. Another 11 million were made in Canberra, Australia. After that first year, almost all ten-cent coins have been made in Canberra. The only exception was in 1981. That year, 40 million coins were made in Wales, to help with the 76.1 million coins made in Canberra.
Years Without New 10-Cent Coins
There were a few years when no new 10-cent coins were made for everyday use. These years were 1986, 1987, 1995, and 1996. Coins from these years were only found in special collector sets. The fewest coins ever made in one year was in 2011, with only 1.7 million coins.
Special Edition 10-Cent Coin
There has been one special edition of the 10-cent coin. This was in 2016. It celebrated the 50th birthday of Australia's decimal currency. About 7 million of these special coins were made.
What's on the Australian 10-Cent Coin?
Every Australian ten-cent coin has a picture of a male superb lyrebird on its back side. This bird is famous for its amazing tail feathers. The design was created by Stuart Devlin. He designed the pictures for all the Australian dollar coins when they were first made in 1966.
The Queen's Portrait on the Coin
The front side of the coin shows a picture of Elizabeth II, who was the Queen of Australia. Over the years, her portrait has changed a few times:
- From 1966 to 1984, the portrait was designed by Arnold Machin.
- From 1985 to 1998, the portrait was by Raphael Maklouf.
- From 1999 to 2015, and again in 2017, the portrait was by Ian Rank-Broadley.
- Since 2019, the portrait has been by Jody Clark.
The front of these coins also says "AUSTRALIA" and the year the coin was made. It also says "ELIZABETH II". In 2016, for the 50th anniversary of decimal currency, a special portrait was designed by G. K. Gray.
Using the 10-Cent Coin
Ten-cent coins are considered "legal tender." This means they can be used to pay for things. However, you can only use 10-cent coins for payments up to $5. For example, if you owe someone $10, you can't pay them with only 10-cent coins.
