20 cents 2025 - The Rainbow Serpent
By CAA | Tuesday, 19 August 2025
The Royal Australian Mint, in partnership with the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA), presented the 5th and final release in its Australian Children’s Literature program. The 2025 release celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Rainbow Serpent, written and illustrated by Dick Roughsey.
First published in 1975, The Rainbow Serpent is a classic Dreamtime story that inspired readers of all ages. Roughsey, a Lardil man from Mornington Island in Queensland, is recognised for his lasting contribution to Australian art and children’s literature. The book won the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award in 1976 and remains in print today.
The coin, designed by Royal Australian Mint artist Adam Ball, features colourful artwork inspired by Roughsey’s original illustrations. Three products were available:
- 2025 20 cents coloured uncirculated Coin in card
- 2025 20 cents coloured uncirculated Coin with special edition book
- 2025 20 cents coloured gold-plated coin with deluxe edition book
The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III, designed by Daniel Thorne.
Since 2021, the Australian Children’s Literature program has featured beloved titles including Animalia (35th anniversary), Diary of a Wombat, Edward the Emu and Where is the Green Sheep? Each release celebrates the magic of storytelling and the bonds created through reading together.
This 2025 release also coincides with the 80th anniversary of the CBCA and continues the tradition of celebrating CBCA Children’s Book Week with a national tribute to Australian stories.
Dick Roughsey was an Australian Aboriginal artist from the Lardil language group on Mornington Island in the south-eastern Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. He was an active and prominent figure involved in reviving and preserving the cultural life of the Lardil people.
Limited mintage of 25,000 uncirculated coins and only 5,000 presented in a hard cover special edition copy of The Rainbow Serpent. Mintage of 3,000 of the gold-plated version.
Specifications
- Composition: Copper-Nickel
- Weight: 11.3 g
- Diameter: 28.52 mm
20 cents 2025 - Not intended for circulation
