Australian Decimal Uncirculated (UNC) Coins

Definition

An uncirculated (UNC) coin is one which has never been released into general circulation or used as currency - in the words of the Royal Australian Mint's own glossary, "a coin which has not been distributed or used as currency". In everyday collecting the term is used in two related ways. As a grade, it describes any coin that shows no wear from handling, whether it came from a sealed mint set, an untouched mint roll or a lucky bank bag. As a product, it refers to coins the Mint strikes specially for collectors on a dedicated uncirculated press, finished and packaged to a higher standard than coins made for spending.

On the international 70-point grading scale, uncirculated corresponds to the Mint State range from MS60 to MS70. An MS60 coin is technically uncirculated but may show heavy bag marks and dull lustre, while MS70 describes a flawless coin with full original brilliance and no imperfections visible under magnification. Bag marks - the small contact marks picked up when coins knock against each other in mint handling - are present on virtually all uncirculated coins and do not disqualify the grade; it is their number and severity that decides where a coin sits between MS60 and MS70.

Characteristics

• Purpose: Collecting. Uncirculated coins are sold directly to collectors and never pass through the banking system.

• Finish: Mint condition, sharper than circulated coins. Fields retain their original mint lustre with no wear on the high points of the design.

• Strike: Struck once on selected blanks by a dedicated uncirculated press running at a fraction of circulating-press speed, giving a sharper impression than coins made for general circulation.

• Handling: Coins are monitored on the production line and individually packaged, then sold through the Mint's shop, eShop and dealer network rather than delivered to banks.

• Availability: Offered each year as the six-coin uncirculated year set (the traditional "mint set"), together with themed special editions.

Production

Uncirculated coins are struck on a dedicated press with an automatic feed capable of up to 80 coins per minute, or around 20,000 coins per day. By comparison, the circulating-coin presses strike up to 650 coins per minute with pressures of up to 200 tonnes. Staff monitor the conveyor belt as uncirculated coins leave the press and remove any that do not meet standard, and the finished coins are individually packaged for the Mint's shop, eShop and commercial dealers. Blanks destined for uncirculated and proof coins may also be burnished - spun in a drum with steel balls and detergent - to remove unwanted surface marks before striking.

The uncirculated finish sits between circulating and proof quality. A proof coin is struck four to six times on a manually operated press with 180 to 360 tonnes of pressure, using specially prepared dies to create frosted designs on mirror-like fields, and each piece is individually inspected under magnification. The Mint emphasises that proof is a method of manufacture, not a condition or grade. Uncirculated coins share the single strike of a circulating coin but benefit from slower production, selected blanks and careful handling.

Attribute	Circulated	Uncirculated	Proof
Strike rate	Up to 650 per minute	Up to 80 per minute	Manual press
Strikes per coin	1	1	4-6
Striking pressure	Up to 200 tonnes	-	180-360 tonnes
Blank treatment	Standard	Selected; may be burnished	Annealed, pickled and burnished
Inspection	Sampled in bags	Monitored on conveyor	Individual, under magnification
Distribution	Banks	Mint shop, eShop, dealers	Mint shop, eShop, dealers

Uncirculated Year Sets

Since decimal currency began, the Royal Australian Mint has marked each year with an uncirculated year set - the traditional "mint set" - containing one example of every circulating denomination. The first set, issued for 1966, contained six coins from the 1 cent to the round 50 cent piece in a gift wallet priced at $1.50. No sets were issued for 1967 or 1968, years in which no decimal coins were struck at all, and the annual series proper began in 1969.

The composition of the set has followed the evolution of Australia's coinage. The one dollar coin was added in 1985, making a seven-coin set, and the two dollar coin brought the count to eight in 1988. The 1992 set was the last to include the 1 cent and 2 cent coins before their withdrawal from circulation, and from 1993 the set settled at its modern six coins. In 2006, for the 40th anniversary of decimal currency, the Mint issued a one-off eight-coin set that welcomed the 1 cent and 2 cent coins back for the occasion, and every set since has contained the six standard denominations.

Most years carry a commemorative theme expressed through a special design on one or more coins, with the remaining coins showing the standard Stuart Devlin reverses. Landmark years include 1988's First Fleet Bicentenary set, struck to a record 250,000 mintage, and 2016, when for the first time every coin in the set carried a commemorative obverse celebrating the 50th anniversary of the changeover. The 2020 set introduced the Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, and the 2024 Change of Monarch set paid tribute to the transition by pairing each of the six denominations with a different portrait - five effigies of Queen Elizabeth II from Mary Gillick's 1953 portrait onward, and the Dan Thorne effigy of King Charles III.

File:Australian UNC Mint Set.jpg

A typical six-coin uncirculated year set in its sealed presentation folder.

Year Set Issues

Set year	1966	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
Theme	First decimal coins	Standard designs	Captain Cook Bicentenary	Standard designs	Standard designs	Standard designs	Standard designs	Standard designs	Standard designs	Silver Jubilee	Standard designs	Standard designs
Mintage	105,909	31,176	40,230	28,572	39,065	30,928	25,475	30,121	40,004	128,010	70,006	70,006
Issue price	$1.50	$1.50	$2.00	$1.50	$1.50	$1.70	$1.70	$1.70	$1.80	$1.80	$2.00	$2.00
Coins in set	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6

Set year	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
Theme	Standard designs	Standard designs	Commonwealth Games	Standard designs	Standard designs	Standard designs	International Year of Peace	Standard designs	First Fleet Bicentenary	Standard designs
Mintage	100,000	120,000	195,950	155,700	150,014	170,000	180,000	200,000	250,000	150,602
Issue price	$2.20	$3.00	$3.00	$3.00	$3.20	$4.20	$4.50	$9.70	$12.00	$13.50
Coins in set	6	6	6	6	6	7	7	7	8	8

Set year	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Theme	Standard designs	25th Anniv. of decimal currency	Barcelona Olympics	Landcare	Year of the Family	50th Anniv. end of WWII	Sir Henry Parkes	Sir Charles Kingsford Smith	Bass and Flinders	Int. Year of Older Persons
Mintage	103,766	147,900	118,528	84,784	91,942	96,079	108,773	71,022	74,108	70,067
Issue price	$15.00	$15.00	$15.00	$15.00	$15.00	$15.00	$18.75	$18.75	$18.75	$19.95
Coins in set	8	8	8	6	6	6	6	6	6	6

Set year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Theme	Millennium	Centenary of Federation	Year of the Outback	Australia's Volunteers	Coins Come Alive	60th Anniv. end of WWII	40 Years of Decimal Currency	Year of the Surf Lifesaver	Year of Planet Earth	Year of Astronomy
Mintage	106,394	90,822	68,752	80,512	57,565	71,546	87,407	67,643	95,138	55,452
Issue price	$19.95	$21.62	$22.70	$22.70	$23.50	$23.50	$23.50	$23.50	$26.00	$35.00
Coins in set	6	6	6	6	6	6	8	6	6	6

Set year	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
Theme	Standard designs	Standard designs	Standard designs, coloured 50c	Standard designs, coloured 20c	Standard designs, coloured $1	50th Anniv. of the Mint	The Changeover	Effigy of an Era	Armistice Centenary	Moon Landing 50th
Mintage	50,989	41,883	58,554	45,792	43,777	49,682	62,718	Unlimited	-	-
Issue price	$30.00	$30.00	$32.50	$32.50	$32.50	$25.00	$25.00	$25.00	$65.00	$25.00
Coins in set	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6

Set year	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
Theme	Sixth effigy of Elizabeth II	50th Anniv. Aboriginal Flag	Frontline Workers	Vegemite Centenary	Change of Monarch	Australian Honours System 50th	60 Years of Decimal Currency
Mintage	-	-	-	117,397	100,000	-	-
Issue price	-	-	-	-	$40.00	$40.00	$40.00
Coins in set	6	6	6	6	6	6	6

No sets were issued for 1967 or 1968. The 1977 set marked the Queen's Silver Jubilee with a commemorative 50 cent design.

The one dollar coin joined the set in 1985 and the two dollar coin in 1988. The 1988 Bicentenary set remains the highest-mintage year set issued.

The 1992 set was the last to include the 1 cent and 2 cent coins. From 1993 the set contained the six denominations that remain current today.

The 2004 "Coins Come Alive" set featured a two dollar coin with a fine pattern of grooves on its reverse. The 2006 anniversary set was a one-off return to eight coins, including the 1 cent and 2 cent pieces.

The 2015 set marked the Royal Australian Mint's own 50th anniversary with a commemorative 50 cent coin. The 2016 "Changeover" set carried special 50th anniversary obverses on every coin, and the 2017 set paid tribute to the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait.

The 2020 set introduced the Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on all six coins. The 2024 Change of Monarch set placed a different portrait on each denomination.

"Unlimited" indicates the set was struck to demand rather than to a fixed mintage. A dash indicates figures the Mint has not confirmed. Mintage figures for the earlier years are drawn from Royal Australian Mint annual reports as compiled by collectors. Issue prices are the Mint's recommended retail price at the time of release.

Set Gallery

The gallery below shows every uncirculated year set from 1966 to 2026, with the packaging of each set alongside the coins in their folder. It traces the evolution of the product from the gift wallet of 1966 through the sealed folders of later decades to today's presentation packs. The table is collapsed by default - click "expand" to browse all 59 sets. Rows whose photographs have not yet been uploaded appear as red links in the meantime.

Year set gallery, 1966 - 2026

File:Australian UNC Set 1966 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1966 coins.jpg	1966 - the first decimal year set, six coins in a gift wallet priced at $1.50. Mintage 105,909.
File:Australian UNC Set 1969 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1969 coins.jpg	1969 - the first of the continuous annual series, standard designs. Mintage 31,176.
File:Australian UNC Set 1970 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1970 coins.jpg	1970 - Captain Cook Bicentenary. Mintage 40,230.
File:Australian UNC Set 1971 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1971 coins.jpg	1971 - standard designs. Mintage 28,572.
File:Australian UNC Set 1972 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1972 coins.jpg	1972 - standard designs. Mintage 39,065.
File:Australian UNC Set 1973 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1973 coins.jpg	1973 - standard designs. Mintage 30,928.
File:Australian UNC Set 1974 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1974 coins.jpg	1974 - standard designs; the rarest year set. Mintage 25,475.
File:Australian UNC Set 1975 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1975 coins.jpg	1975 - standard designs. Mintage 30,121.
File:Australian UNC Set 1976 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1976 coins.jpg	1976 - standard designs. Mintage 40,004.
File:Australian UNC Set 1977 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1977 coins.jpg	1977 - Silver Jubilee, with a commemorative 50 cent. Mintage 128,010.
File:Australian UNC Set 1978 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1978 coins.jpg	1978 - standard designs. Mintage 70,006.
File:Australian UNC Set 1979 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1979 coins.jpg	1979 - standard designs. Mintage 70,006.
File:Australian UNC Set 1980 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1980 coins.jpg	1980 - standard designs. Mintage 100,000.
File:Australian UNC Set 1981 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1981 coins.jpg	1981 - standard designs. Mintage 120,000.
File:Australian UNC Set 1982 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1982 coins.jpg	1982 - Brisbane Commonwealth Games. Mintage 195,950.
File:Australian UNC Set 1983 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1983 coins.jpg	1983 - standard designs. Mintage 155,700.
File:Australian UNC Set 1984 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1984 coins.jpg	1984 - standard designs. Mintage 150,014.
File:Australian UNC Set 1985 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1985 coins.jpg	1985 - the one dollar coin joined the set, making seven coins. Mintage 170,000.
File:Australian UNC Set 1986 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1986 coins.jpg	1986 - International Year of Peace. Mintage 180,000.
File:Australian UNC Set 1987 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1987 coins.jpg	1987 - standard designs. Mintage 200,000.
File:Australian UNC Set 1988 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1988 coins.jpg	1988 - First Fleet Bicentenary; the first eight-coin set and still the highest-mintage year set. Mintage 250,000.
File:Australian UNC Set 1989 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1989 coins.jpg	1989 - standard designs. Mintage 150,602.
File:Australian UNC Set 1990 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1990 coins.jpg	1990 - standard designs. Mintage 103,766.
File:Australian UNC Set 1991 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1991 coins.jpg	1991 - 25th anniversary of decimal currency. Mintage 147,900.
File:Australian UNC Set 1992 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1992 coins.jpg	1992 - Barcelona Olympics; the last set to include the 1 cent and 2 cent. Mintage 118,528.
File:Australian UNC Set 1993 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1993 coins.jpg	1993 - Landcare; the first of the modern six-coin sets. Mintage 84,784.
File:Australian UNC Set 1994 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1994 coins.jpg	1994 - Year of the Family. Mintage 91,942.
File:Australian UNC Set 1995 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1995 coins.jpg	1995 - 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Mintage 96,079.
File:Australian UNC Set 1996 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1996 coins.jpg	1996 - Sir Henry Parkes. Mintage 108,773.
File:Australian UNC Set 1997 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1997 coins.jpg	1997 - Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. Mintage 71,022.
File:Australian UNC Set 1998 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1998 coins.jpg	1998 - Bass and Flinders. Mintage 74,108.
File:Australian UNC Set 1999 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 1999 coins.jpg	1999 - International Year of Older Persons. Mintage 70,067.
File:Australian UNC Set 2000 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2000 coins.jpg	2000 - Millennium. Mintage 106,394.
File:Australian UNC Set 2001 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2001 coins.jpg	2001 - Centenary of Federation. Mintage 90,822.
File:Australian UNC Set 2002 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2002 coins.jpg	2002 - Year of the Outback. Mintage 68,752.
File:Australian UNC Set 2003 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2003 coins.jpg	2003 - Australia's Volunteers. Mintage 80,512.
File:Australian UNC Set 2004 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2004 coins.jpg	2004 - "Coins Come Alive", with the grooved two dollar coin. Mintage 57,565.
File:Australian UNC Set 2005 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2005 coins.jpg	2005 - 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Mintage 71,546.
File:Australian UNC Set 2006 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2006 coins.jpg	2006 - 40 years of decimal currency; a one-off return to eight coins. Mintage 87,407.
File:Australian UNC Set 2007 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2007 coins.jpg	2007 - Year of the Surf Lifesaver. Mintage 67,643.
File:Australian UNC Set 2008 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2008 coins.jpg	2008 - Year of Planet Earth. Mintage 95,138.
File:Australian UNC Set 2009 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2009 coins.jpg	2009 - International Year of Astronomy. Mintage 55,452.
File:Australian UNC Set 2010 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2010 coins.jpg	2010 - standard designs. Mintage 50,989.
File:Australian UNC Set 2011 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2011 coins.jpg	2011 - standard designs. Mintage 41,883.
File:Australian UNC Set 2012 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2012 coins.jpg	2012 - standard designs with a coloured 50 cent. Mintage 58,554.
File:Australian UNC Set 2013 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2013 coins.jpg	2013 - standard designs with a coloured 20 cent. Mintage 45,792.
File:Australian UNC Set 2014 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2014 coins.jpg	2014 - standard designs with a coloured one dollar. Mintage 43,777.
File:Australian UNC Set 2015 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2015 coins.jpg	2015 - 50th anniversary of the Royal Australian Mint. Mintage 49,682.
File:Australian UNC Set 2016 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2016 coins.jpg	2016 - "The Changeover"; 50th anniversary obverses on every coin. Mintage 62,718.
File:Australian UNC Set 2017 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2017 coins.jpg	2017 - "Effigy of an Era", tribute to the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait. Struck to demand.
File:Australian UNC Set 2018 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2018 coins.jpg	2018 - Armistice Centenary. Mintage not yet confirmed.
File:Australian UNC Set 2019 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2019 coins.jpg	2019 - Moon Landing 50th anniversary. Mintage not yet confirmed.
File:Australian UNC Set 2020 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2020 coins.jpg	2020 - introduced the Jody Clark effigy of Elizabeth II on all six coins. Mintage not yet confirmed.
File:Australian UNC Set 2021 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2021 coins.jpg	2021 - 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal flag. Mintage not yet confirmed.
File:Australian UNC Set 2022 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2022 coins.jpg	2022 - Frontline Workers. Mintage not yet confirmed.
File:Australian UNC Set 2023 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2023 coins.jpg	2023 - Vegemite Centenary. Mintage 117,397.
File:Australian UNC Set 2024 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2024 coins.jpg	2024 - Change of Monarch; a different portrait on each denomination. Mintage 100,000.
File:Australian UNC Set 2025 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2025 coins.jpg	2025 - 50th anniversary of the Australian Honours System. Mintage not yet confirmed.
File:Australian UNC Set 2026 packaging.jpg	File:Australian UNC Set 2026 coins.jpg	2026 - 60 years of decimal currency. Mintage not yet confirmed.

Special Editions

Beyond the standard year sets, the Mint has issued a number of special uncirculated editions. Limited edition sets released at the World Money Fair in Berlin between 2011 and 2020 came in custom-designed sleeves and typically had small mintages; these now command substantial premiums on the secondary market. The 2019 "Effigies Over Time" set carried a different portrait of the Queen from 1953 to 2019 on each of its six coins, and themed editions such as the 2023 "Creatures of the Deep" set have appeared alongside the annual issues.

Baby sets, in which all six coins carry playful baby-animal designs, have proved popular gift items. The 2023 Baby set brought together the baby coins created for the 2021 and 2022 editions. Two-coin year sets focusing on a single theme, such as the Australian Wool (2011), Wheat (2012) and Mining (2013) editions, offer a more affordable entry point into the uncirculated series.

Grading and Condition

Because they are handled carefully and sealed at the Mint, coins from intact year sets generally preserve their original lustre and represent the easiest way to acquire high-grade examples of each year's coinage. Collectors grading uncirculated coins look first for full, undisturbed mint lustre, then count and weigh the bag marks scattered across the fields and portrait, and finally assess the sharpness of the strike on high points such as the echidna's spines or the emu's feathers. Sealed sets should be stored cool, dry and upright, as plastic folders can mark coins over time - a phenomenon collectors describe as PVC damage - and toning, while sometimes attractive, is best kept even and unbroken. Coins removed from sets and submitted to grading services are typically awarded grades in the MS61 to MS65 range, with MS66 and above reserved for exceptional examples.

See Also

• Australian Decimal Circulated Coins
• Australian Decimal Proof Coins
• Australian Decimal Not Intended for Circulation (NIFC) Coins
• Australian Decimal Bullion Coins
• Australian Decimal Coins (1966 - present)