2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 Coin
The 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 is a circulating $2 coin with 500,000 made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2012
- Circulation mintage
- 500,000
- Value band
- Collector premium
- Composition
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 worth?
With 500,000 struck, the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 ranks as the lowest mintage of the 13 circulating $2 coins we track. Collectors pay a collector premium even for worn examples. Sharp, uncirculated coins with no marks bring considerably more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Intact, unworn color
- Uncirculated condition
- Original card or collector folder
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 rare?
- Yes, by the standards of $2 coins. With 500,000 struck, the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 ranks as the lowest mintage of the 13 circulating $2 coins we track.
- How many 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 coins were made?
- 500,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 made of?
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel). It weighs 6.6 g and measures 20.5 mm.
- Is the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every $2 coin, colored commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 was made
The red poppy $2 is the coin that started Australia's colored coin craze. Issued for Remembrance Day 2012, it was the first colored coin in the $2 series released into circulation and its bright red flower made it stand out from everything else in people's change. Remembrance Day itself marks 11 November 1918, when the Armistice brought the fighting of the First World War to an end and the poppy is its long standing emblem.
Only 500,000 were struck with the red poppy, compared with 5.8 million plain poppy coins of the same design. That ratio is what made the colored version so sought after. Word spread quickly that red $2 coins were out there and people started checking every $2 that passed through their hands. A long series of colored $2 commemoratives followed over the following decade, covering Anzac anniversaries, sport, children's television and more, but this first one remains the best known of them all. Many people still remember checking their change for one and it remains the coin most collectors want first when they start a colored $2 set.
How to recognize it
The reverse replaces the usual Aboriginal elder with a single poppy and on this version the petals are colored red. Everything else about the coin matches the plain 2012 poppy: Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Elizabeth II with IRB under the neck, the 2012 date, a diameter of 20.5 mm, a weight of 6.6 g, aluminum bronze and an interrupted milled edge. The color was applied by the mint during production and sits as a smooth, even layer on the petals. If the red looks brushed on, uneven or thick enough to feel with a fingernail, compare it carefully with a known example before assuming you have the real thing.
2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 by the numbers
By the numbers, the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 is the lowest of 13 commemorative $2 releases with a published mintage. The next more common is the 2013 Coronation $2 (1 million).
It shared 2012 with 2 other circulating $2 coin designs: the Remembrance Day (uncolored) (5.8 million) and the 2012 Australian $2 (5.9 million). The 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 was the scarcest of the year.
What to check on your 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2
- Confirm the design: Remembrance Day Red Poppy dated 2012, with the colored panel (Red).
- Never clean a colored coin. Rubbing or solvents strip the color, which is most of what collectors are paying for.
- Check the edge: Australian $2 coins have interrupted milling, with sections of reeding separated by smooth gaps.
- Weigh it if you are unsure: a genuine $2 coin weighs 6.6 g and is 20.5 mm across.
With 500,000 made, this is a far scarcer coin than any regular $2 date and collectors pay well above face value for nice examples. The deciding factor is the color. Found coins often show worn red, especially on the raised parts of the petals and a coin with patchy or faded color draws much less interest than one with full, bright red. Never clean a colored coin: rubbing, polishing or soaking can lift the color off entirely. Keep it in a flip or capsule so nothing scrapes across the poppy.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 dollars |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2012 |
| Circulation mintage | 500,000 |
| Composition | Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 6.6 g |
| Diameter | 20.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Interrupted milling |
| Colors | Red |
Other 2012 $2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Australian $2 Coin | 5,900,000 | Face value |
| 2012 Remembrance Day (uncolored) $2 Coin | 5,800,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
How many red poppy $2 coins were made?
Only 500,000 red poppy coins were made for circulation in 2012. The plain version of the same design had 5.8 million, which is why the red coin is so much more wanted by collectors.
Should I clean my red poppy $2 coin?
No. Cleaning can strip the red color and leaves marks collectors notice immediately. Even worn color is better left alone. Store the coin in a soft holder and handle it by the edges.
Mintage figures: Australian two-dollar coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.