The light aircraft carrier, HMAS Sydney, is showcased on Melbourne Coins big new copper release

In 1942, at the height of the Second World War, the under-pressure Royal Navy issued a requirement for a Light Fleet Carrier. These were designed to pack a greater punch than the escort carriers, but be easier and cheaper to build than the huge fleet carriers. Sixteen were ordered as the Colossus class. Only four saw service in the war, with 8 of them to the original Colossus specification. The last five to be built were redesigned for the larger aircraft then coming into operation, They were renamed the Majestic class.

All five of them (the sixth, Leviathan, was never completed), served in other navies, two with the Royal Canadian Navy, one in India, and two with the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Melbourne, and HMAS Sydney. The latter ship, the subject of this coin, was launched as HMS Terrible in 1944, but was completed in 1947 for the RAN, where she served as the flagship for a few years. She saw service in the Korean and Vietnam wars, before decommissioning in 1973. Sadly, despite talks, she was not preserved as a museum ship.

This new release from Melbourne Coins is a big, chunky copper one, tipping the scales at 430 grams, and replete with high relief and what looks like some light antiquing. The reverse face depicts the HMAS Sydney bow on from a low angle, with the Australian flag in the background, amidst a sky filled with aircraft that operated from her decks, including a Sikorsky H-5 helicopter. She is depicted at the time of the Korean War in 1951. The obverse has a side view of the ship, under which is some quite comprehensive specifications of her.

As someone with an interest in naval warfare, I’m well stoked with this new one, as it concentrates on the facts and history of the ship, rather than the usual pie-in-the-sky theatrics we often get. Marking history is something numismatics does very well. It’s also great to see the resurgence of copper continue with new and different options. There’s really nothing like it for allowing the creation of impressive coins that remain affordable. Available to order now, it comes boxed and is limited to just 300 pieces.

The images below are from the game World of Warships, that I can’t recommend enough. This is their representation of the original HMS Colossus, but as you can see, the family resemblance is obvious. At 190 metres in length, and displacing 15,740 tons standard, these were relatively small, but packed a decent punch, and were flexible and capable at sea, with examples also serving with the French navy, and Brazil. They continued to see service until the end of the century, with the last Majestic, the Indian Navy’s Vikrant, only being scrapped in 2014!

One ship, HMS Venerable, served for 20 years with the Royal Netherlands Navy as HNLMS Karel Doorman, and was then sold to Argentina, who renamed it the ARA Veinticinco de Mayo. It was part of the invasion force that took the Falkland Islands in 1982, and she later tasked out to attack British forces during the following war, but a combination of weather, her poor condition, and a British nuclear submarine running around unhindered, meant it scuppered back to port, along with the rest of the Argentine navy, playing no further part. She was decommissioned in 1997, although had been out of service for years. A sister-ship, HMS Warrior, also served in Argentina until 1970 as the ARA Independencia.

SPECIFICATIONS

DENOMINATIONCOMPOSITIONDIMENSIONFINISHMINTAGE
$2 NZD (Niue)430.0 g of 0.999 copper76.0 mmProof, Ruthenium plating, Gilding300