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Australia Bradman Tribute

2001 Five Dollar

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This $5 Australian coin pays tribute to the life of Australian Cricketer Sir Donald Bradman and was issued by the Royal Australian Mint just months after his death. Bradman was an inspirational sportsman who remains today to be considered a sporting hero and one of the greatest sporting achievers there has ever been. It is a commemorative uncirculated Donald Bradman coin and was released as both an individual coin and as part of a three coin tribute set, called the Donald Bradman Commemorative Coin Program.

Born in 1908, Donald Bradman, took an intest in sports from a very young age. He was born in Cootamundra in New South Wales and as a youth become passionate about cricket to the extent that he invented his own training technique that allowed him to practice batting by himself. He didn't have a bat so resorted to the use of a cricket stump instead. His solo cricket game required a golf ball that was hit into a curve in the wall of his house and as it deflected at random angles he would attempt to hit it again. Playing this game incessantly as a boy developed his great hand-eye co-ordination, and quick reactions.

By the age of 12 he was playing cricket at school and hit his first century of many to come throughout his long career as a test batsman. Throughout that career that spanned for over 25 years, he achieved a test batting average of 99.84. This incredible statistic not only makes him the highest achieving cricketer of all time but arguably the highest achieving sportsman of any kind. His career began before World War II when he began to make and break some incredible records, some of which still stand today. He made a dramatic comeback after the war captaining the Australian cricket team on their record-breaking unbeaten tour of England. This Australian team became known as The Invincible's.

Bradman's achievements soon led to him being considered a sporting hero and he was the subject of constant adulation and admiration everywhere he went. He was described by former captain Bill Woodfull as being "worth three batsman to Australia." He was uncomfortable with the amount of attention he received and in his later life, despite staying involved with cricket and administration he became quite aloof and somewhat of a recluse. After his wife died in 1997, he became even more withdrawn and after being hospitalised with pneumonia, he finally died at home peacefully at the age of 92. His memorial service, held at St Peter's Anglican Cathedral, Adelaide was broadcast live on TV and was seen by almost 1.5 million viewers.

This commemorative Bradman uncirculated bronze coin has a frosted finish and was struck by the Royal Australian Mint and released in 2001. A mintage of 245,000 coins were produced as well as a further 5000 that were included in a special Donald Bradman three coin tribute set. Accompanying this coin in the set is a $5 fine silver proof coin and a $20 gold and silver bi-metallic proof coin. Each of the coins feature the cricketers image with his name and the year of his birth and death. The three coin set was released in a green oblong presentation case with a certificate of Authenticity and some information regarding the coins and the life of "The Don." Writing on the outside of the lid includes the title of the set SIR DONALD BRADMAN COMMEMORATIVE COIN PROGRAM. On the inside of the lid is the official stamps of both The Perth Mint and The Royal Australian Mint. The reverse of the coin was designed by Jovan Radanovich and features the image of Bradman positioned in the pull shot, for which he became famous. Cuving around the edge of the coin is the obverse legend "1908 SIR DONALD BRADMAN 2001".