Who designed our Australian coins?

It’s all credited to a very creative chap called Stuart Devlin AO CMG.

Back in 1964 this gifted gold and silversmith, won the competition to create Australia’s first decimal coins. Devlin is the designer of all the coin motifs currently in circulation, with the exception of the $2 coin, but including the discontinued one and two cent pieces.

On further investigation, in 1982 Devlin become silversmith to the Queen. Prince Philip paid him this accolade in the foreword of a book about Devlin - “Stuart Devlin was probably the most original and creative goldsmith and silversmith of his time, and one of the greats of all time,”

Did you know the initial circulation of $1 coin was back in 1984 and the Royal Australian Mint produced an amazing 186.3 million $1 coins.

The two dollar coin introduced into circulation much later in 1988 was designed by Horst Hahne. 

There have been commemorative versions of the one and two dollars coins released over the decades, designed by other designers but Devlin is by far the dominant designer behind the look of our coinage. 

Sadly we lost this very talented Australian last month. His clever and beautiful designs were refreshingly innovative when first unveiled. His coin designs captured the unique fauna of this great southern land and as great design so often does - it has endured.

Vale Stuart Devlin 1931-2018.