2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 Coin
The 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 is a circulating $2 coin. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2021
- Circulation mintage
- Not published
- Value band
- Face value
- 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 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 worth?
Circulated colored $2 coins like the 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 usually change hands close to face value. Complete sets still in their collector cards and coins with unworn color bring a little 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 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 rare?
- No. It was made in large numbers, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 coins were made?
- The Royal Australian Mint has not published a circulation figure in our source.
- What is the 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 made of?
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel). It weighs 6.6 g and measures 20.5 mm.
- Is the 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every $2 coin, colored commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 was made
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women have served in Australia's armed forces through both world wars and the conflicts that followed, often at a time when they were denied basic rights at home. Their service went unrecognized for many years. Some enlisted in the First World War despite rules meant to exclude people who were not of European descent. In 2021 the Royal Australian Mint issued a colored $2 coin honoring Indigenous military service.
The coin was not part of a supermarket card promotion and no mintage total has been published. It arrived in the same year as the coin for the 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal flag, so 2021 brought two $2 coins centered on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history. Both are worth checking for in change. Commemorations of Indigenous service now form part of Anzac Day and Remembrance Day events in many communities. The coin brings that history into everyday change, where people of all backgrounds handle it. Recognition has grown steadily in recent decades.
How to recognize it
The reverse carries a design honoring Indigenous service personnel, colored in red, black and blue, replacing Horst Hahne's Aboriginal elder. That trio of colors separates it from the 2021 Aboriginal Flag coin, which uses black and red only. The obverse has Jody Clark's portrait of Elizabeth II with JC under the neck and the date 2021. Like every $2, it is 20.5 mm across, 6.6 g and aluminum bronze, with ridged sections and smooth gaps around the edge. Blue coloring on a worn coin can look dark, so compare it under a light. Read the date and the three colors together to confirm it.
2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 by the numbers
The Royal Australian Mint has not published a circulation figure for the 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2 in our source, so it cannot be ranked against other $2 coins yet.
2021 brought 3 other circulating $2 coin designs: the 2021 Australian $2 (13.9 million).
What to check on your 2021 Indigenous Military Service $2
- Confirm the design: Indigenous Military Service dated 2021, with the colored panel (Red/Black/Blue).
- 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 no published mintage, it's difficult to compare this coin with the others, but it reached circulation and is found in change. Circulated coins generally trade near face value. Examples with full, bright color are the best to keep and may bring a small premium in uncirculated condition. Collectors interested in military and remembrance themes often place it with the war centenary coins. Never clean it: the color sits on top of the metal and comes off with rubbing. Handle it by the edges.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 dollars |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2021 |
| Circulation mintage | Not published |
| Composition | Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 6.6 g |
| Diameter | 20.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Interrupted milling |
| Colors | Red/Black/Blue |
Other 2021 $2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Australian $2 Coin | 13,900,000 | Face value |
| 2021 Ambulance $2 Coin | – | Face value |
| 2021 Aboriginal Flag $2 Coin | – | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
What does the 2021 red, black and blue $2 coin commemorate?
It honors the military service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who have served in Australia's armed forces through both world wars and later conflicts. The coin is dated 2021 and carries Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen.
Is the Indigenous Military Service $2 rare?
No mintage has been published, so its exact scarcity is unclear. It was released into circulation in 2021 and still turns up in change, where it's usually worth face value.
Mintage figures: Australian two-dollar coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.