Tasmanian student designs Centenary of Federation 20c coin
30th March 2001
The Royal Australian Mint today announced the winner of the Tasmanian section of the national Centenary of Federation coin design competition.
The winning design was prepared by Abbey MacDonald, a student at Launceston Church Grammar School.
Abbey's design will be officially launched in Tasmania in September. This is the first time that a set of coins has been issued specially for Tasmania. These will initially be available in collector sets and then later in the year as circulating currency.
Background
Late last year the Royal Australian Mint conducted a nation-wide competition to find a school student from each Australian State and self-governing Territory whose Centenary of Federation design will appear on a nationally-circulated 20c coin. The competition is a key element of the Mint's Centenary of Federation Coin Program, and supports the aim of involving Australians from every corner of our country in the Centenary of Federation celebrations.
The Tasmanian design winner is the final one to be announced during 2001. Each State and self-governing Territory will have its own student-designed 20 cent coin, as well as a 50 cent coin bearing its official coat of arms. The student designs are being unveiled close to the time of the official Centenary of Federation celebrations in every State and Territory. The coins will be released in both collector and circulating form during the course of the year.
A cheque for $5,000 will be presented to Launceston Church Grammar School by the Royal Australian Mint. Hagley Farm Primary and Environment School, 30km outside Launceston, and Elizabeth College in Hobart will receive runner-up awards of $1,000, thanks to the efforts of students Brad Whitchurch and Rachael Gates respectively.
Mr Graeme Moffatt, Controller of the Mint, said the dramatic Tasmanian design provided an appropriate finale to the student-designed coin series, and would certainly be welcomed by all coin collectors and users in the island State. He expressed special thanks to the many school principals and teachers in Tasmania who pitched in to enable their students to submit designs. In total 62 Tasmanian schools submitted entries to the Mint, with most schools putting forward at least three designs.