2021 $2 Coin - "Defending Country" Indigenous Military Service - 'C' Mintmark

2021 $2 'C' Mintmark Coloured Uncirculated Coin: Indigenous Military Service – "Defending Country"

This 2021 $2 'C' Mintmark Coloured Uncirculated Coin is a profound tribute honouring Indigenous Military Service and their enduring commitment to "Defending Country." Despite restrictions in the 1903 Defence Act preventing those "not substantially of European origin or descent" from enlisting, thousands of Indigenous Australians volunteered to serve the nation that often denied them the very rights they were fighting to defend.

Once accepted for service, individuals often experienced a sense of friendship and equality that was absent from civilian life, with access to training, education, travel, and equal pay. While friendships endured long after the war, equality did not, as Indigenous ANZACs returned home to face continued discrimination.

Key Features and Specifications

• Commemoration: A tribute to the courage, commitment, and sacrifice of Indigenous Australians who have served in all conflicts.
• Unique Design: The coin’s reverse design is based on the painting Indigenous Military Service by Kalkadoon artist Chern’ee Sutton, featuring Indigenous and non-Indigenous soldiers, dancers, and ancestral symbols.
• Exclusive Mintmark: Bears a ‘C’ Mintmark (denoting Canberra).
• Quality: Struck to Uncirculated Standard.
• Obverse: Features the effigy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II sculpted by Jody Clark.
• Presentation: Encapsulated in a presented card for collector display.
• Legal Tender: Australian legal tender coin.