Coins of Australia Coins of Australia Australian coins refers to the coins which are or were in use as Australian currency. During the early days of the colonies that formed Australia, foreign currency was used, but in 1910, a decade after federation, Australian coins were introduced. Australia used pounds, shillings and pence until 1966, when it adopted the decimal system with the Australian dollar divided into 100 cents. With the exception of the first Proclamation Coinage and the holey dollars, all Australian coins remain legal tender despite being withdrawn from circulation. For many years after the first Australian colony, New South Wales, was
Coins of the pound sterling and have ceased to be legal tender. <nowiki>* The specifications and dates of 5p, 10p, and 50p coins refer to the larger sizes issued in 1968 and 1969 respectively. † The specification refers to the round coin issued from 1983–2016. Although obsolete, this coin is still redeemable at banks and still legal tender on the Isle of Man.</nowiki> All modern British coins feature a profile of the current monarch's head on the obverse. There has been only one monarch since decimalisation, Queen Elizabeth II, so her head appears on all decimal coins, facing to the right (see also Monarch's head,