Hologram coin bursting with NYE fireworks colour

In an Australian first, coloured holograms will capture the 2013 Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations on a special edition collector coin, developed by the Royal Australian Mint.

The $1 silver proof coin will feature an image of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect, which is revealed atmidnight on New Year’s Eve.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the commemorative coin would become a collector’s item and would be the first in a 10-year series to be released on 1 January each year.

“Each year, tourists and Sydneysiders ask whether they are able to take home a special memory of Sydney New Year’s Eve, so for the first time we’re creating this special piece of memorabilia,” the Lord Mayor said.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect will be based on the artworks of NYE13 Creative Ambassador Reg Mombassa, who has created an ‘all-seeing eye’ to symbolise the event’s Shine theme.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, the Honourable Steve Ciobo, said the coin allowed the fireworks to be shared all over the world, making it even more of a special memento of Sydney and Australia.

“The Royal Australian Mint develops coins that capture moments of history and allows the story to be told for years to come, so we see this as being able to share a world-renowned Australian event for years to come,” Mr Ciobo said.

Designed by Royal Australian Mint artist Aaron Baggio, the 99.9 per cent fine silver proof coin will feature a colour hologram that changes to show the bursts of light appearing over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the world-renowned Midnight Fireworks display.

Mr Baggio said it was an honour to work on such an exciting and innovative coin for the Royal Australian Mint.

“Being an Australian first, it was a welcome challenge to apply my design and work it into a hologram shim and colour print design – and the result couldn’t have turned out any better,” Mr Baggio said.

The coin will be presented in a special capsule and housed in a leatherette presentation case and printed outer box. The recommended retail price is $120 including GST. The coin will be available for pre-order from the Royal Australian Mint online shop eshop.ramint.gov.au and call centre, with the actual sale date being 1 January 2014 once the effect is revealed.