On 15 June 1215 at Runnymede, King John fixed his seal to the Great Charter — the document that first bound a ruler to the law. To mark its 800th anniversary, the Royal Australian Mint struck its first rectangular legal tender coin, its shape echoing the charter itself, with an antique finish applied by hand so that no two coins are quite alike. Though the issue limit was set at 10,000, the Mint’s declared mintage came in at just 4,518 — considerably scarcer than the certificate suggests.

The reverse presents a representation of King John’s Great Seal, which formalised the original 1215 Magna Carta, alongside an inscription drawn from the 1297 Inspeximus issue held at Australian Parliament House — the only original copy in the southern hemisphere.

The obverse carries the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the $5 denomination, framed by a border matching the reverse.

The coin is presented in the Royal Australian Mint’s hinged-lid case within a decorative outer shipper, accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Silver Content (grams) - 31.11

Fineness (% purity) - 99.9

Diameter (mm) - 40 x 28

Release: 2015
Mintage: 4,518 (issue limit 10,000)