1990 Royal Australian Mint Uncirculated Coin Set - Error Set - Reversed 5c Coin

1990 Uncirculated Mint Set – Tribute to the Australian Aboriginal People (Reversed 5c Packaging Error)

Acquire an extraordinary, museum-grade piece of Australian numismatic history with this official 1990 Royal Australian Mint uncirculated set. While celebrating Australia’s rich Indigenous heritage and native fauna, this specific set features a major, documented factory packaging error: the 5c coin is sealed facing the wrong way in the blister, displaying its reverse side while all other seven coins present their obverse (or vice versa).

Catalogued as a mint error set in Renniks Australian Coin & Banknote Values, error sets from this specific production run are exceptionally scarce—with Renniks noting only 1 known confirmed instance. This makes it an elite trophy piece for error specialists and serious decimal completionists.

Specifications

• Year of Issue: 1990
• Theme: Tribute to the Australian Aboriginal People & Native Fauna
• Special Feature: Reversed 5c Coin Orientation Error (Factory Packaging Anomaly)
• Catalogued Reference: Documented in Renniks Australian Coin & Banknote Values (33rd Edition, Page 174)
• Finish: Uncirculated
• Mintage: Limited to 103,766 total sets worldwide (Error frequency extremely minimal)
• Obverse Effigy: Raphael Maklouf portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
• Issuer / Mint: Royal Australian Mint, Canberra

Design Details & Error Highlights

This set includes all eight standard Australian decimal denominations, featuring four non-circulating rarities (2c, 20c, 50c, and $1) alongside the key error:

• The Reversed 5c Error: During the automated sealing process at the Royal Australian Mint, the 5c echidna coin was flipped opposite to the rest of the set. While all other seven coins face uniform alignment (Heads/Tails), the 5c coin sits permanently facing the opposite direction inside its sealed pocket.
• Untouched Factory Sealing: Crucially, because the set remains completely sealed in its original inner plastic blister from 1990, the error is 100% verified as an authentic, undisturbed Royal Australian Mint production anomaly.
• Non-Circulating Rarities: Alongside the unique 5c error, the set contains four non-circulating key dates (2c, 20c, 50c, and $1) that were never issued for general commercial pocket change.

Condition and Presentation Note

• Uncirculated Quality: All eight coins—including the reversed 5c piece—remain in untouched, brilliant uncirculated condition with sharp strike details and original mint lustre.
• Official Presentation: Housed in the original official Royal Australian Mint illustrative fold-out presentation pack.
• Vintage Packaging Wear: As expected for an authentic 1990 release, the outer cardboard folder and sleeve show minor storage wear, light edge softening, or mild rubbing, perfectly consistent with its age and long-term archival storage.