August Release – Australian Rail Heritage – Steam Giants

In 2025, the Mint proudly presents Steam Giants – Australian Rail Heritage. The collection gathers together some of the largest steam locomotives to run in Australia and tells the dramatic story of progress that led to railways across the country racing to build bigger and more powerful machines. From enormous freight haulers to prestigious express engines, the collection includes a representative for each state and the Commonwealth Railways. This beautiful folder allows you to collect, store and display all seven coins as a record of these incredible locomotives and their role in Australia’s dramatic rail history.

Each 50c coloured uncirculated coin depicts one of these impressive locomotives in shallow relief, accurately miniaturising its complex features in intricate detail. The colour print reflects the locomotive’s livery and evokes the excitement of standing trackside and experiencing a flash of colour, heat, noise and steam as it rushes past hauling its train. As well as providing space for each coin, this folder presents informative articles that examine the impact of these locomotives in detail and celebrate the work done to preserve and operate them today.

From the bold maroon of Queensland Railways Beyer-Garratt No. 1009 to the streamlined form of South Australian Railways 520 Class No. 520 'Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey', each design reflects the power, character and legacy of these remarkable machines. The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III, designed by Daniel Thorne.

The collection includes seven individual coins, spotlighting icons such as The Commonwealth Railways G Class G1, Victorian Railways H Class H220 ‘Heavy Harry’, Western Australia’s V Class V1220, Tasmania’s Q Class Q5 and New South Wales’ AD60 Class Beyer-Garratt 6029, the largest steam locomotive still operational in the Southern Hemisphere.

Explore the giants of Australia’s steam heritage with this exciting 2025 50c Coloured Uncirculated Seven-Coin Set from the Royal Australian Mint. All seven coins in card are also available to purchase separately from the Mint Shop at the Royal Australian Mint in Deakin.

For your chance to secure this release, enter the EQL Ballot which will run from 8:30am (AEST) Tuesday, 5 August to 8:30am (AEST) Thursday, 7 August. Do you want to be notified when the upcoming Ballot opens? Click here.

From 8.30am (AEST) Thursday, 7 August, these coins are available from:

• Mint Shop (Royal Australian Mint, Deakin)
• Mint Contact Centre (1300 652 020)
• Participating Authorised Distributors

We recommend only purchasing through the Mint’s channels or participating authorised distributors. There is no guarantee on quality or authenticity of products purchased from unauthorised sellers. Any listings prior to the official release date are considered illegitimate.