Royal Australian Mint issues IYA coins
The Royal Australian Mint has issued two collectable coins to commemorate the International Year of Astronomy.
The two coins are a one-dollar coin featuring CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope (“The Dish”) and a twenty-cent piece showing amateur astronomers observing against a background of constellations.
The coins were launched on the evening of 7 November at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra.
The Canberra Astronomical Society turned out in force with its telescopes, hoping to provide a night of star-gazing, but clouds and rain rolled in. Nevertheless, the crowd was still treated to a sound and light show projected onto the exterior of the Mint building.
In her speech at the launch, the Mint’s Chief Executive Officer, Janine Murphy, noted that the coins “not only reinforce the vision of IYA, but pay tribute to the important contribution Australia has made internationally in the fields of science and technology”.
IYA coins can be purchased from the Mint’s online eShop.
Last Updated ( Sunday, 22 February 2009 )
