This twenty cent piece was released by the Royal Australian Mint
in 2001 as part of their extensive program celebrating the Centenary of Federation. The piece commemorates the inclusion
of Tasmania in the Australian Federation. The reverse was designed by
student Abbey Macdonald from Launceston Church Grammar School in Tasmania. The design features an outline of the map of Tasmania
and within it stands the thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, a dog-like animal once native to Tasmania and now extinct. The students
initials AMc have also been integrated into the design in the top right corner of the map. The
legend
Centenary of Federation and TASMANIA curves around the outside and the denomination 20 CENTS overlays the design. The
obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth
II with a surrounding
legend
which reads ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2001.
The coin was included in two sets issued throughout the year - the Tasmanian three coin set, and the twenty coin Centenary
of Federation collection. Each set was issued in both
proof
and uncirculated varieties.
The penal settlement of Hobart was established in 1803. At this stage the island of Tasmania was part of the colony of
New South Wales.
(Museum of Australian Democracy, 2017)
Initially the colony was managed by a British appointed governor but in 1856 Tasmania was granted self-government. In
1889 the premier of New South Wales, Henry Parks, proposed the creation of a united Australian government. In 1898 Tasmania
(along with New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria) voted on whether or not to accept the newly drafted Australian
Constitution. Tasmania voted in favour of the constitution and on the 1st of January 1901 the new Australian federation was
established with Tasmania as a founding member.
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