Student's design featured in first Norfolk Island coin set
11th June 2001
The first Australian coins produced with a specific Norfolk Island theme were officially launched today by the Administrator of Norfolk Island, The Hon. Tony Messner.
A 20 cent coin designed by a Norfolk Island school student, and a 50 cent coin featuring the Norfolk Island Coat of Arms have been produced by the Royal Australian Mint as part of a special series to commemorate Australia's Centenary of Federation.
The 20 cent coin features a design developed by Megan Cummings in response to the question of 'What is special about your State or Territory?' Megan created the design as part of a national competition run by the Royal Australian Mint in late 2000 when she was a Year 8 student at Norfolk Island Central School.
The 20 cent coin features the well-known Norfolk Pine superimposed on a map of the Island as the centrepiece of the design, surrounded by symbols that tell a story of the Island. The sun, a bird, and a fish symbolise the Island's natural beauty, an anchor represents the HMS Sirius which sank off the Island's coast in 1790, and a ship denotes the story of the Pitcairn Islanders who settled on Norfolk Island in 1856.
"Coin designs have been used for thousands of years to commemorate events of special significance. These coins allow us to share with future generations an enhanced sense of the Pitcairn heritage and what is special about Norfolk Island," Mr Messner said.
The 20c coin featuring the design by Megan, a 50c piece depicting Norfolk Island's Coat of Arms, and a $1 coin showing the Centenary of Federation logo are combined in a Three-Coin Set for Norfolk Island. These collector coins are now available in both proof and uncirculated versions. The coins will be released into general circulation later in the second half of 2001.
The Norfolk Island Three Coin Set is the fifth in a series of nine to be released by the Mint for all Australian States and Self-governing Territories during 2001. Coin sets for New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Victoria were recently issued. Coin sets for the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania will be progressively released later in the year.
The other State and Territory coin sets will feature the common $1 coin depicting the Centenary of Federation logo, a 50c piece depicting the respective State/Territory Coat of Arms, and a 20c coin unique to each State/Territory designed by school students.
All of the coins for each State and Self-governing Territory can be collected in a 20 coin collection. The collector coin sets are available from The Royal Australian Mint on 1300 652 020, coin dealers, and selected Australia Post outlets. The Norfolk Island Coin Sets are also available from Norfolk Post.
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Norfolk Island Centenary of Federation 20c Coin - High resolution 1880x1880 pixel JPG |
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Background
Megan Cummings
About her coin design...
- Winner of the Norfolk Island section of the Centenary of Federation Coin Design Competition conducted by the Royal Australian Mint.
- Norfolk Island Central School will be presented with a prize of $5,000 from the Royal Australian Mint for submitting the winning design.
- A panel from the Royal Australian Mint short-listed four designs from numerous entries submitted from Norfolk Island Central School. The final winning design was chosen by a panel comprised of three Federal Government Ministers: the Minister for Financial Services and Regulation, The Hon Joe Hockey MP; the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, the Hon Dr David Kemp; and the Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation, The Hon Peter McGauran, MP.
- Megan created a design featuring Norfolk Island's best known symbol, the Norfolk Pine superimposed over a map of the Island. Surrounding these centrepiece elements are symbols that tell the story of Norfolk Island:
- a bird in the design refers to the white terns
- the sun is a reflection of the beautiful weather
- a fish represents the marine life
- an anchor denotes the historic HMS Sirius which was wrecked off the Island's coast in 1790
- and a ship denotes the delivery of supplies and the story of the Pitcairn Islanders.
- The 20c coin featuring her design, along with a 50c coin featuring the Norfolk Island Coat of Arms, and a $1 coin featuring the Centenary of Federation logo are combined in a special 3 Coin Set for Norfolk Island. These collector sets are now available in both proof and uncirculated versions.
- The 20c coin featuring their design will go into general circulation in the second half of 2001.
- Megan Cummings was in Year 8 at Norfolk Island Central School when she submitted her design in late 2000. Megan and her family have since moved to Toormina in northern New South Wales.