Australian ten-cent coin

Production:

The ten-cent coin was first introduced as part of Australia's transition to decimal currency on February 14, 1966. This transition marked a significant change in the nation's monetary system, moving away from the pounds, shillings, and pence system to a more straightforward decimal system.

The original reverse design of the ten-cent coin features a lyrebird, an iconic Australian bird known for its extraordinary ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds. Remarkably, this design has remained unchanged since its introduction, making it a consistent and recognizable symbol on the coin.

While the reverse design has stayed the same, the obverse design underwent a notable alteration in 2016. This change was made to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the introduction of decimal currency in Australia. However, the steadfast lyrebird on the reverse side continues to grace the ten-cent coin, preserving a piece of the original design for collectors and the general public alike.

The production of the ten-cent coin began with the first issues in 1966, all of which were minted at the Royal Mint in London. Following this initial production run, the responsibility for minting ten-cent coins shifted to the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra. This transition reflects the evolving nature of coin production and the collaborative efforts between different mints to ensure the availability of ten-cent coins for circulation in Australia.

Value	Mass	Diameter	Edge	Composition
$0.10 AUD	5.65 g	23.60 mm	Milled	75% copper 25% nickel
Obverse	Design	Designer	Design date
	Elizabeth II	Arnold Machin	1966-1984
	Elizabeth II	Raphael Maklouf	1985-1998
	Elizabeth II	Ian Rank-Broadley	1999-2015 2017-2019
	Elizabeth II and Reproduction of threepence design	Ian Rank-Broadley	2016
	Elizabeth II	Jody Clark	2019-2023
	Elizabeth II Special Memorial	Jody Clark	2023
	Charles III	Dan Thorne	2024-Present
Reverse	Design	Designer	Design date
	Male Superb Lyrebird	Stuart Devlin	1966-Present

Mintage year	1966	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978
Mintage (Mil)	30.0	11.0	51.0	57.2	22.1	22.3	20.7	12.5	27.3	46.6	50.9	57.1	10.9	48.4
Mint	RML	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM

Mintage year	1979	1980	1981	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
Mintage (Mil)	37.0	55.6	76.1	40.0	61.5	82.3	25.7	2.0	48.1	43.5	25.0	4.8	46.7
Mint	RAM	RAM	RAM	RML	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM

Mintage year	1993	1994	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Mintage (Mil)	23.1	43.7	5.7	48.0	97.1	51.1	109.4	70.3	53.6	89.1	116.7	157.1
Mint	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM

Mintage year	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2016	2017	2018	2019
Mintage (Mil)	61.1	136.0	25.3	84.9	1.7	54.0	49.2	66.44	14.3	42.0	6.21	21.6	3.3	17.02
Mint	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM

Mintage year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Mintage (Mil)	2.03	23.2	22.8	9.14
Mint	RAM	RAM	RAM	RAM

RAM = Royal Australian Mint; RCM = Royal Canadian Mint; RML = Royal Mint, London; RMLL=Royal Mint, Llantrisant

1 = 50th Anniversary, 2= IRB, 3 = JC

Mint Marks:

The 1966 10c coin was minted at both the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra and the London branch of the Royal Mint. Distinguishing between the two coins is relatively straightforward.

To identify the mint origin, examine the reverse side of the coin, focusing on the three lyrebird feathers towards the top. The key difference is found on the center feather: on the Canberra coin, the last spur of this feather has been removed.

In contrast, the London-minted coin retains the spur. The images below illustrates this difference, with the spur circled on the London-minted coin and the same spot (with the missing spur) circled on the Canberra-minted coin.

There are no observable mint marks on London and Canberra 1981 coins.

RAM (Canberra)	RML (London)
Canberra Mint: Missing spur.	London Mint: Retains the spur.