The Royal Australian Mint will soon allow visitors to press their own special bluebell-marked $1 coin to celebrate the launch of Floriade. Photo: Royal Australian Mint.
The Royal Australian Mint is joining in the fun of Floriade in 2026 with the unveiling of a special ACT bluebell coin, with one lucky visitor given the opportunity to mint the very first coin.
The Mint will be a stop on Canberra’s Floriade About Town festivities, running from 12 September to 11 October.
The special ACT bluebell privy mark will appear on one of the Mint’s gallery coin presses for four weeks only, making it the first time ever that the Mint will be changing its gallery coin presses mid-year.
Visitors can mint their own coins with the new mark and get up close to the machinery that forges them.
One visitor will be given the chance to mint the very first coin at a special event launching the design on Saturday morning. From 7:30 am, visitors will receive a free numbered wristband, with one number drawn at random.
The number drawn will be able to mint the coin, which will then be presented in a specially designed frame created for the occasion.
Saturday’s event will also feature live music, food trucks, face painting, a coin swap and activities for collectors and curious newcomers.
Royal Australian Mint chief executive officer Emily Martin said Floriade and the new coin design mark an exciting time for both the city and the Mint, bringing creativity to life.
“We are delighted to bring a little of that floral magic into the Mint. The ACT bluebell privy mark is sure to get collectors excited, particularly because it will only be available on our gallery coin press during Floriade About Town,” she said.
“It’s a great reason to come and visit, whether you’re a passionate collector hoping to add the privy mark to your collection or simply looking for something fun to do during Floriade.
“The coin swap also gives collectors of all ages the chance to expand their collections by exchanging cash for coins, including hard-to-find and coloured circulating coins.”
Alongside the launch of the new coin, the Mint will also be hosting tours for its Coins in Bloom exhibition, which explores the flowers that have featured on Australian coins throughout history.
“From native blossoms to commemorative designs, the tour reveals how flowers have been captured in metal to tell stories about Australia, its people and places,” Ms Martin said.
For further details about the new bluebell privy-marked coin and the Coins in Bloom exhibition, visit the Royal Australian Mint.
