The 2020 Australia's Firefighters ‘C’ Mintmarked $2 coin was the first $2 coin released with the refreshed obverse design including ‘2 DOLLARS’ located below the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. The RAM rule for selecting this updated obverse design is to be applied on coins that do not display the denomination on the reverse design.

The circulating type of the Firefighters $2 coin was also the first coloured $2 coin (not including Corporate Program Coin releases) to be officially released and sold by the Royal Australian Mint as a carded product. The On the 26^th of October 2020 the Royal Australian Mint announced through an ‘Upcoming Releases’ Facebook post that the Australia's Firefighters Circulating Coin in Card and ‘C’ Mintmark $2 coin would be available for purchase; the following Thursday, at the respective costs of $10 and $15 each.

The coins were created to publicly honour the 170’000 plus brave and courageous Australian career and volunteer firefighters, who have risked their lives to protect our life and property. Released 12 months on from the devastating 2019 bush fire season, the proceeds from RAM sales of these coins allowed for $125’000 in donations to fire and emergency service organisations across Australia.

Included in the design we can see RAM designer Aleksandra Stokic’s initials ‘AS’ appear for a second time on the reverse of an Australian coloured $2 coin. The Royal Australian Mint media release on the 29th of October 2020 highlighted that “The identity of the two firefighters is hidden but the figure on the right is shown as masculine and the figure on the left as feminie as a symbol of the diversity within Australia’s firefighting ranks.”

Mint Issue 130 displays both the 2020 Australia’s Firefighters ‘C’ Mintmark and Circulating Coin in Card for sale along with a description of the coins. The description states “The Royal Australian Mint is proud to present this 2020 $2 ‘C’ Mintmark Coloured Uncirculated Coin as a poignant reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of Australia’s firefighters. From our career ‘firies’ in the city, to the thousands of volunteers in the towns and bush, this coin commemorates and honours their dedication and commitment to protecting all Australians. This 2020 $2 Coloured Coin and 2020 $2 ‘C’ Mintmark Coin commemorate our ‘firies’, secure your tribute today.”

To date the 2020 – 2021 RAM Annual Report shows that 40’000 of the 2020 'C' Mintmarked Australia's Firefighters $2 coins were produced. The same report also shows that 1’600’000 of the coloured circulating type coins being produced along with 7’500 official RAM rolls, and 40’000 Coin in Card releases.

Additionally for the first time after a RAM Freedom of Information (FOI) request was submitted and released on the 17th of June 2020, requesting details on the number of sachets sold and produced, the ram begun reporting sachets produced in the 2020 – 2021 Annual Report. As such the RAM reported 33'300 Australia's Firefighters $2 circulating type coins in sachets as being produced.

Circulating coin sachets can be swapped for cash at a rage of events attended by the RAM. In the 2019 – 2020 RAM Annual Report it was reported that “In 2019–20, the Mint attended 28 events compared to 42 in 2018–19. These included: 4 roadshows with 15 stops (down due to COVID-19), 3 Australasian Numismatic Dealer’s Association coin money expos, 8 pop-ups, 1 Adelaide coin and stamp show, and attendance at the Police Wall to Wall Remembrance Ride. The most popular products across outreach programs was the circulating coin sachets, and the coins counter stamped on the mobile press at each location.”

Since the cessation of the swap events at the beginning of 2020, the RAM has not reinitiated the program as of December 2022.

Update

Remediation of figures published in the 2021 - 2022 RAM Annual Report establishes that the mintage figures of the circulating 2020 Australia's Firefighters $2 coin; published in the 2019 - 2020 report, were actually incorrect. The remediated mintage figure was stated as being 2'000'000 circulating coins, brining the final circulating mintage to 2'000'000; along with 7’500 official RAM rolls, 40’000 Coin in Card releases, and 33'300 coins in sachets.

Release: 2020
Mintage: 40'000

RESOURCES

Facebook Release Announcement 26/10/2020 - https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4813218122051638&id=248501001856729

RAM Media Release 29/10/2020: Proceeds from sale of new Royal Australian Mint coin to be given to Australia’s firefighters https://www.ramint.gov.au/publications/proceeds-sale-new-royal-australian-mint-coin-be-given-australias-firefighters   

Mint Issue 130
November 2020: https://www.ramint.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020_mint_issue_nov_130_online.pdf

Annual Report
2019 – 2020: https://www.ramint.gov.au/sites/default/files/ramint_annual_report_2019-20.pdf

2020 – 2021: https://www.ramint.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021/Corp_site/Policy/2020-21_ram_annual-report_appendices.pdf

2021 - 2022: https://www.ramint.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022/Corporate_site/2021-22_ram_annual-report_digital.pdf

RAM FOI Disclosure Log 22/10/2022 - https://www.ramint.gov.au/foi-disclosure-log

RAM FOI Disclosure Log 17/06/2020: Number of sachets sold and produced https://www.ramint.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020/Corporate_website/Annual_Report_2019-2020/foi_disclosure_log.pdf

Last Updated: 22/10/2022