Overview
- The Mint issued a 50c uncirculated coin (30,000) and a $5 silver proof (5,000) via ballot, with all 35,000 allocated and some now listed above issue price on auction sites.
- Online reaction slammed the likeness, with comparisons to Mrs Doubtfire, Mrs Brown and Shrek, and quips that it looked like she had “run into a wall.”
- The Mint defended the work, saying images can misrepresent etched detail and stressing that the design was approved by the palace.
- The portrait by Royal Australian Mint artist Aleksandra Stokic is a full‑frontal depiction framed by horses, corgis, roses, lily of the valley, golden wattle, the Royal Cypher, a stylised St Edward’s Crown and the Auxiliary Territorial Service emblem.
- The reverse shows King Charles III in profile, and the coins are collector pieces not intended for general circulation.