2026 $1 Origins of Australian Coin – Holey Dollar Uncirculated Coin

Discover the fascinating origins of Australian coinage with the 2026 $1 Origins of Australian Coin – Holey Dollar Uncirculated Coin, issued by the Royal Australian Mint.

This special release celebrates the remarkable story of Australia’s famous Holey Dollar and Dump, created during the early years of the Colony of New South Wales when a severe shortage of circulating currency presented Governor Lachlan Macquarie with an unusual problem.

Spanish silver dollars—including coins struck in colonial Mexico—were imported into the colony and transformed under the direction of convicted counterfeiter William Henshall. The centre was punched from each Spanish dollar, creating two separate coins: the outer Holey Dollar and the smaller central Dump. 

The 2026 release also commemorates 60 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Mexico, highlighting a connection stretching back more than two centuries through the Mexican-struck Spanish dollars that ultimately became part of Australia’s early currency. 

The coin’s intricate design draws directly upon an 1804/1813 Holey Dollar held in the National Coin Collection. Its reverse incorporates representations of both the Holey Dollar and Dump, complemented by the dahlia, Mexico’s national flower, and Australia’s golden wattle. 

Presented in its original Royal Australian Mint Origins of Australian Coin presentation card, this is an excellent addition for collectors interested in Australian colonial currency and the extraordinary history behind the nation’s earliest distinctive coins.

Specifications: 2026 dated Australian $1 legal tender; uncirculated finish; Royal Australian Mint issue; maximum mintage 35,000; original RAM presentation card.