The standard design
Horst Hahne designed the reverse: an Aboriginal elder set against the Southern Cross and a grass tree. It's been the everyday design since 1988. Coins dated 1988 and 1989 also carry his initials, HH, on the reverse, while later dates in the regular run don't. The reverse has stayed the same through every portrait change, so the portrait side is what separates one year from another.
The coin is 20.5 mm across and smaller than the $1. It's made of aluminum bronze. The date and the word AUSTRALIA are on the portrait side.
Every $2 circulation date
| Coin | Year | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Australian $2 Coin | 1988 | 160,900,000 | Face value |
| 1989 Australian $2 Coin | 1989 | 31,600,000 | Face value |
| 1990 Australian $2 Coin | 1990 | 10,300,000 | Face value |
| 1992 Australian $2 Coin | 1992 | 15,500,000 | Face value |
| 1993 Australian $2 Coin | 1993 | 4,900,000 | Face value |
| 1994 Australian $2 Coin | 1994 | 22,100,000 | Face value |
| 1995 Australian $2 Coin | 1995 | 15,500,000 | Face value |
| 1996 Australian $2 Coin | 1996 | 13,900,000 | Face value |
| 1997 Australian $2 Coin | 1997 | 19,000,000 | Face value |
| 1998 Australian $2 Coin | 1998 | 8,700,000 | Face value |
| 1999 Australian $2 Coin | 1999 | 27,300,000 | Face value |
| 2000 Australian $2 Coin | 2000 | 5,700,000 | Face value |
| 2001 Australian $2 Coin | 2001 | 35,600,000 | Face value |
| 2002 Australian $2 Coin | 2002 | 29,700,000 | Face value |
| 2003 Australian $2 Coin | 2003 | 13,700,000 | Face value |
| 2004 Australian $2 Coin | 2004 | 20,000,000 | Face value |
| 2005 Australian $2 Coin | 2005 | 45,500,000 | Face value |
| 2006 Australian $2 Coin | 2006 | 40,500,000 | Face value |
| 2007 Australian $2 Coin | 2007 | 26,000,000 | Face value |
| 2008 Australian $2 Coin | 2008 | 47,000,000 | Face value |
| 2009 Australian $2 Coin | 2009 | 74,500,000 | Face value |
| 2010 Australian $2 Coin | 2010 | 36,500,000 | Face value |
| 2011 Australian $2 Coin | 2011 | 1,800,000 | Small premium |
| 2012 Australian $2 Coin | 2012 | 5,900,000 | Face value |
| 2013 Australian $2 Coin | 2013 | 35,100,000 | Face value |
| 2014 Australian $2 Coin | 2014 | 39,900,000 | Face value |
| 2015 Australian $2 Coin | 2015 | 22,000,000 | Face value |
| 2016 Australian $2 Coin | 2016 | 12,900,000 | Face value |
| 2017 Australian $2 Coin | 2017 | 16,400,000 | Face value |
| 2018 Australian $2 Coin | 2018 | 14,600,000 | Face value |
| 2019 Australian $2 Coin (Clark portrait) | 2019 | 2,000,000 | Small premium |
| 2019 Australian $2 Coin (Rank-Broadley portrait) | 2019 | 10,600,000 | Face value |
| 2020 Australian $2 Coin | 2020 | 16,100,000 | Face value |
| 2021 Australian $2 Coin | 2021 | 13,900,000 | Face value |
| 2022 Australian $2 Coin | 2022 | 32,252,000 | Face value |
| 2024 Australian $2 Coin | 2024 | 5,202,000 | Face value |
Colored and commemorative $2 coins
Dates that stand out
The first year was struck in enormous numbers, 160,900,000. Most later years ran into the tens of millions. A few dates fell well short: The 2011 date is the easiest to miss, because nothing about the design sets it apart.
- 2011: 1,800,000, the lowest regular date
- 2019 with Jody Clark's portrait: 2,000,000, against 10,600,000 with Ian Rank-Broadley's
- 1993: 4,900,000
- 2024: 5,202,000
- 2000: 5,700,000
- 2012: 5,900,000
The colored commemoratives
In 2012 Australia put a red poppy on a $2 for Remembrance Day. Colored $2 coins have followed most years since. Many mark wartime anniversaries; others celebrate sport and children's favorites.
- 2012 Remembrance Day red poppy: 500,000
- 2013 Coronation, purple: 1,000,000
- 2014 Remembrance Day, green: 1,850,000
- 2015 100 Years of ANZAC, red: 1,460,000
- 2015 In Flanders Fields, orange: 2,150,000
- 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency: 2,880,000
- 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: three colors
Remembrance and wartime designs
A large share of the colored $2 coins honor military service, with mintages mostly between one and four million. The 2015 ANZAC and Flanders coins belong to the same theme, along with these:
- 2017 Lest We Forget: 3,900,000
- 2017 Remembrance, with green and purple rosemary: 2,100,000
- 2018 Eternal Flame: 3,400,000
- 2018 Armistice Centenary, red: 1,700,000
- 2020 WWII Dove and 2021 Indigenous Military Service, with no mintage figure in the table
Sports and children's sets
Some designs come as sets in several colors. The 2016 Rio Olympics coins came in five colors with 2,000,000 of each. The Rio Paralympics coin added one more at 2,000,000. The 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games coins came in three colors. Possum Magic in 2017 had three designs, Mr Squiggle in 2019 had four and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics five, each with cherry blossoms in a different color. Collectors usually try to complete the whole set rather than pick one.
Uncolored versions, condition and care
Not every special $2 is colored. The 2012 Remembrance Day design was also struck without color. That version had 5,800,000 made, more than ten times the red poppy. The 2018 Invictus Games coin is uncolored too. If you have a 2012 poppy, the color is what matters.
Check the date and portrait first, then the design. On colored coins, look at the condition of the color: it sits on the surface and wears or chips with use. Don't try to clean or touch up a colored coin. A bright, unchipped center makes far more difference than any polishing could. Store colored coins in separate holders so they don't rub against each other.
Frequently asked questions
When did Australia get the $2 coin?
In 1988, when it replaced the $2 note. The first year had 160,900,000 made.
What does HH on a $2 coin mean?
They're the initials of the designer, Horst Hahne. They appear on coins dated 1988 and 1989.
Can you spend colored $2 coins?
Yes. They're legal tender and were released into circulation, although many people keep them.
Why are there two 2019 $2 coins?
The new Jody Clark portrait of the Queen was introduced partway through 2019, so coins exist with both the Clark and the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait.
Are all commemorative $2 coins colored?
No. The uncolored 2012 Remembrance Day coin and the 2018 Invictus Games coin have no color.
Why are some commemorative mintages missing from the table?
For several $2 commemoratives from 2017 onward there's no confirmed circulation figure, so the table leaves it blank rather than guess.
Mintage figures from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and Royal Australian Mint figures. Sources.