ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT'S NEW 'HOLEY DOLLAR'

The Royal Australian Mint is rolling out a unique new coin that stands out for what's missing: a hole right in the middle.

The new Holey Dollar, to be released to the public on Tuesday (7 September), is a silver coin that honours the unique design and history of Australia's first minted coins in 1812.

The Royal Australian Mint marked the minting of the non-circulating coin by inviting the Mexican Ambassador to Australia, Ernesto Céspedes-Oropeza, to press some of the coins to honour the 60-year diplomatic history between Australia and Mexico.

"A little bit over 200 years ago, the first Australian coin was actually a Spanish silver coin minted in Mexico City," Mr Céspedes-Oropeza said.

"They were used for trade between Spain and Asia. Originally, they were forged in Mexico before being placed on Manila galleons departing the Mexican port of Acapulco for the Philippines.

"A lot of countries would rebrand these coins with their own country's name. The same thing happened in NSW, when their governor (Lachlan Macquarie) imported 40,000 of these Spanish silver dollars."

Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer Emily Martin said it was special to have the Mexican Ambassador to Australia be a part of the coin's launch.

"The Holey Dollar is one of Australia's most recognisable historical coins, yet many people don't realise its story begins with silver dollars, many struck in colonial Mexico," she said.

"This release celebrates 60 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Mexico while sharing the fascinating story of how our nations became connected more than 200 years earlier.

For more information, see:
Origins of Australian Coin: the Holey Dollar (https://www.ramint.gov.au/about-us/whats-new/origins-australian-coin-holey-dollar)

To read the complete article, see:
Royal Australian Mint unveils new 'Holey Dollar' that honours the legacy of the country's first coins (https://region.com.au/royal-australian-mint-unveils-new-holey-dollar-that-honours-the-legacy-of-the-countrys-first-coins/996164/)

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