Australia $2 Coin 1988 - First Year of Issue

Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II (obverse) / Aboriginal elder with grass tree and Southern Cross by Horst Hahne (reverse)



Grade (our assessment): EF-40 to AU-50 (Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated)

Slabbed: No (raw coin, housed in clear acrylic capsule)



Metal: Aluminium-bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminium, 2% nickel)

Weight: 6.6g

Diameter: 20.5mm

Mintage: Approximately 175,000,000 (Royal Australian Mint, Canberra)



Surface: Moderate to heavy golden to olive-brown toning, somewhat uneven with darker patches; natural for aluminium-bronze of this age

Cleaning: No evidence of artificial cleaning

Condition notes: Reverse only photographed. Design details reasonably preserved with some softness on the higher points. The coin shows more pronounced toning than the 1984 $1 in Lot 128. Some surface marks or minor spotting may be present. Stored in acrylic capsule. Obverse not photographed; buyer inspection recommended for complete assessment.



The 1988 Australian $2 coin was the first year of issue for the denomination, replacing the paper $2 banknote, and was released during Australia's Bicentenary year. Designer Horst Hahne's reverse depicts an Aboriginal elder inspired by the work of Australian artist Ainslie Roberts, set against a grass tree (Xanthorrhoea) and the Southern Cross constellation. The 1988 date is sought after by collectors as the inaugural issue.

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