To mark the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Australian Honours System, the Royal Australian Mint has announced a new gilded silver coin. Established in 1975 with the creation of the Order of Australia, the system has grown to replace the old Imperial (British) honours system.

Headed by the Cross of Valour which is Australia’s premier civilian award for bravery, this medal was initiated to replace the British George Cross, itself with a rich history. There have only been five recipients of the Cross of Valour since its inception, the last two in 2003 due to heroism shown during the Bali bombings, and the names of each of them are inscribed on the reverse side of this new coin. The Cross of Valour is awarded “only for acts of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme peril” and may be awarded posthumously.

The obverse carries a representation of the George Cross and includes the names of the fourteen Australian recipients of Britain’s second highest award (highest civilian), the last in 1978. Still awarded in New Zealand, the last civilian to be awarded the George Cross was a New Zealand Police Officer in 1992.

A great design perfectly encapsulating the award and the people honoured for their bravery. Available to pre-order now, this 24k gold-plated silver coin starts to ship from 16 February and sells for $120 AUD ($109.19 for international buyers).

MINTS DESCRIPTION

On 14 February 1975, the Australian Honours System was introduced, acknowledging the most outstanding contributions to the nation. The Australian Bravery Decorations are an important part of this system, awarded to recognise acts of incredible bravery and selfless heroism. On the 40^th anniversary of the Honours System, this beautiful gold-plated coin celebrates the recipients of the Cross of Valour and its predecessor, the George Cross. Their courage and bravery continue to inspire Australians today.

REVERSE: A representation the Cross of Valour medal and clasp. Fanned stripes emanate from each limb of the cross. The design includes a circular border containing 4 representations of a Federation Star and the inscriptions ‘RICHARD JOYES’, ‘TIMOTHY BRITTEN’, ‘ALLAN SPARKES’, ‘VICTOR BOSCOE’ and ‘DARRELL TREE’. The design is finished in gold plating and also includes the inscriptions ‘FIVE DOLLARS’.

OBVERSE: The design features a stylised representation of the George Cross medal, clasp and ribbon. Below the cross is a circle enclosing an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, the inscription, in numerals, of a year, the initials of the designer Ian Rank-Broadley ‘IRB’ and the inscriptions ‘ELIZABETH II’ and ‘AUSTRALIA’. Between each limb of the cross is a stylised representation of a laurel. The background contains 4 raised diagonal lines. The design also includes 4 diagonal lines and the inscriptions of multiple recipients.