20th Century Australian Artists Honoured with new release from the Royal Australian Mint

9th November 2005

Four famous Australian artists will be honoured as treasured Australians who have significantly contributed to the nation's artworks during the 20th Century in the first of a two-part series of coins to be released by the Royal Australian Mint on 9 November 2005.

The four Australian artists, Sidney Nolan, Jeffery Smart, Brett Whiteley and Russell Drysdale, and one of each of their paintings were selected by the Mint following extensive consultation and research with major national art institutions.

The 2006 Masterpieces in Silver set includes; 'Burke and Wills Expedition' by Nolan; 'Keswick siding' by Smart; 'Self portrait in the studio' by Whiteley; and 'The drover's wife' by Drysdale.

Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint, Dr Vivienne Thom said, "Without a doubt, these nationally recognisable pieces are destined to shine in any collection for years to come. We are thrilled to commemorate these artists and have worked closely with the copyright authorities to reproduce the artwork in a superbly crafted solid silver medium. The art of minting has truly been put to the test and come out shining with these large scale artworks reproduced on a 40mm silver coin."

Dr Thom added, "Although the mintage of these sets is limited to just 10,000 sets it does allow many people to have their own set of artist reproductions, where only a few could afford an original Nolan. This set of $5 coins, crafted from 99.9% fine silver will capture the hearts of coin collectors and art lovers alike as it pays tribute to some of the nations most treasured artworks."

Produced under the direction of the Royal Australian Mint's renowned coin designers and in coordination with the NSW Art Gallery, the Australian National Gallery and the authorised copyright holders of the original artwork, the Mint has dedicated itself to accurately recreating the original masterpieces.

With a limited mintage of only 10,000 the 2006 Masterpieces in Silver will be a highly sought after item and is available directly from the Royal Australian Mint for purchase from November 9th by calling 1300 625 020 or visiting www.ramint.gov.au.

The Royal Australian Mint is keeping the next four Australian artists in the series a tight-lipped secret and will make a major announcement next year with the launch of the second and final edition of the series.

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	2006 Masterpieces in Silver Images