The exhibition Floral Impressions: Coins in Bloom opens late March 2026 at Royal Australian Mint. It explores the rich symbolism of flowers on coins. Struck into metal, these distinctive graphical floral symbols carry a diverse range of historical and cultural information about their place of origin.
Floral Impressions: Coins in Bloom explores three themes:
Floral emblems are flowers or plants specially selected to symbolise national identity, cultural heritage and environmental protection. Many countries incorporate native flora on their coins, both to celebrate their individual biodiversity and promote conservation efforts. The Australian kangaroo paw, the Western Samoan Teuila and the South African protea are just a few examples of how a flower can represent the natural diverse beauty of nations around the world.
Flowers used as decorative embellishments in coin design include the pervasive wreaths of laurel, olive and oak, which appear either around the periphery of the coin or decorating the heads of the obverse portrait. The symbolism of flowers can contain several messages when struck into a coin — a combination of historical, cultural and personal interpretations, allowing for a rich tapestry of themes to develop over time.
Commemorative symbolism — When depicted on a coin, flowers can be a tangible reminder of important moments in history, celebrate significant events, or pay tribute to individuals who have shaped our societies.
Floral coins convey symbolic messages to those to hold them, becoming a constant reminder of the common denominators which bind us together. While continuing to mint coins featuring floral motifs, the Royal Australian Mint upholds the tradition of using floral iconography as a visual historic record for future generations.
This is a free exhibition, no booking required.
Florals in Royal Australian Mint coin designs
The designers at the Royal Australian Mint incorporate floral elements into our coin designs for reasons that are commemorative, emblematic and purely decorative. Recent coin releases included in the Floral Impressions exhibition are:
Plantain lily, Hosta plantaginea, 1kg silver $30 (Year of the Rabbit), Australia, 2023 — The plantain lily grows in the shaded woodlands of south-eastern China and is a lucky flower for the Year of the Rabbit. During summer, its delicate white flowers open in the evening and close by morning. What time of day do you think it is on this coin?
Chocolate lily, Fritillaria biflora, silver $5 (Aussie Bubs), Australia, 2025 — Named for its rich chocolatey scent, the chocolate lily is a hardy native wildflower that grows throughout Australia’s grasslands and forests. The lily’s small purple flower is edible, as are the juicy tuber roots that grow beneath the ground.
Christmas orchid, Calanthe triplicate, 50 cents (Christmas Coin) Australia, 2025 [450] — The native Queensland Christmas orchid is found in densely shaded rainforests, unfurling its snowy white blossoms in elegant sprays against dark green corrugated leaves. Drawing upon the undulating asymmetrical line and organic curves of the Art Nouveau (‘New Art’) movement from 1890-1910, inspired an orchid design of expressive duality. The orchid appears elegant and graceful, yet possesses a powerful rhythmic or whiplash force.
Designing a Royal Australian Mint coin
Coin Designer Adam Ball explains the design process that builds flower designs into the story-telling visible on a coin. Adam explains how height and structure turn a two-dimensional image into a minted coin.
The video transcript will be uploaded soon.