Today, the Royal Australian Mint is honouring the 50th anniversary of the classic Australian children’s book The Rainbow Serpent with a stunning coloured 20 cent coin release.
This marks the fifth release in the Mint’s much-loved partnership with the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA), celebrating Australian children’s literature through coins.
The 2025 three-coin program includes a coloured 20 cent uncirculated coin available in both a presentation card and a special edition book, as well as a coloured gold-plated 20 cent coin with a deluxe edition book.
The Rainbow Serpent was written and illustrated by revered Indigenous Australian artist Dick Roughsey, a Lardil man from Mornington Island, whose first paintings were on bark using the traditional pigments from soil and black from charcoal. After committing them to paper, he began to create children’s books, including The Rainbow Serpent.
Celebrating Rainbow Serpent rock art that first appeared in Arnhem Land at least 6,000 years ago, Roughsey’s book remains a powerful piece of storytelling 50 years after it first captured imaginations.
Royal Australian Mint acting Chief Executive Officer Emily Martin said the program connected generations through literature and imagination.
“At the heart of this program is a 20c coin, a small piece of metal that ignites curiosity and wonder, especially among children.
“The colourful artwork on these coins reflects the original book artwork and is stunning in both silver and gold.
“But what really sets this program apart isn’t just the coin, or the storytelling and the learning. It’s about sparking imagination and excitement through pictures and words, and The Rainbow Serpent is one of Australia’s most beautiful examples of this,” Ms Martin said.
Launched in 2021, the Mint’s Australian Children’s Literature series has featured beloved books including Anamalia, Diary of a Wombat, Edward the Emu and Where is the Green Sheep? – each of them timed to coincide with the CBCA’s National Children’s Book Week.
CBCA Chair Jo Panckridge said the collaboration brought stories and coins to new audiences.
“The Mint shares the CBCA’s values of fostering culture, language, stories and literacy. This year’s release is especially meaningful, as The Rainbow Serpent marks 50 years in print and the CBCA celebrates its 80th anniversary,” Ms Panckridge said.
The book won both the CBCA’s Book of the Year and Picture Book of the Year in 1976 and continues to be published today.
Each coin in the series is legal Australian tender. The 2025 20c Coloured Uncirculated Coin – The Rainbow Serpent coin in card is $17.50, coin in book is $50 and 2025 20c Gold Plated Coloured Uncirculated Coin – The Rainbow Serpent is $85, and available from 8.30am Thursday 14 August, through:
- Mint Shop (Royal Australian Mint, Deakin)
- Mint Contact Centre (1300 652 020)
- Participating Authorised Distributors
About the Royal Australian Mint
The Mint is an award-winning, world-class Mint and a global leader in the mint industry. The Mint produces circulating coins for Australia and other countries, collectible and investment coins for domestic and international customers, and custom-made medals, medallions and tokens for individual or corporate clients.
The Mint is also a national cultural attraction that educates millions of Australians and international visitors on the history of Australia’s decimal currency, and the significance and value of coins.
Media Enquiries: For media enquiries, or to request an interview, contact Trudy Taylor, media@ramint.gov.au or 02 6202 3466
