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Australia HMAS Australia II

2011 Proof Two Dollar

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This sterling silver two dollar coin about the HMAS Australia II, was produced in commemoration of 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy. It is part of a set of six coins that also includes HMAS AE2 Submarine, HMAS Yarra III, HMAS Sydney III, HMAS Hobart II and HMAS Armidale II. The reverse was designed in-house at the Royal Australian Mint and features the submarine portrayed over a map of the globe showing Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. It includes the legend 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY H.M.A.S. AUSTRALIA II 1911 2011 2 DOLLARS. The obverse shows an Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, right-facing with tiara and earrings. The legend ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2011 encircles the image. The set comes in a black presentation box with a velvet lining and includes a booklet detailing the vessels along with a numbered authentication certificate. The mintage was just 5,000 for this set.

HMAS Australia II was one of seven Kent class heavy cruisers built by John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank, Scotland. The others were HMAS Canberra, HMS Kent, HMS Berwick, HMS Cornwell, HMS Cumberland and HMS Suffolk. HMAS Canberra and HMAS Australia were ordered by the Australian Government at a cost of almost 2 million pounds each and were to be part of a growing naval prowess for Australia. They were equipped with 8 x 305mm guns, 8 x 102mm guns and 4 x 47mm guns (Royal Australian Navy, 2013) . They were initially trialled in the UK in 1928 and then undertook the journey to Sydney via Montreal, Quebec, Halifax, Boston, New York, Annapolis, Kingston, Balboa, Tahiti, Wellington and Brisbane.During World War II, HMAS Australia wasutilisedin many ways. Initially, she patrolled local waters but was then assigned the task of searching for the famous German pocket battleship the 'Graf Spee' in the Indian Ocean. There were other escorting roles until 31st May 1940 when she was offered for service under the British Royal Navy. Her battle honours included Atlantic 1939-43, Pacific 1941-45, Coral Sea 1942, Guadalcanal 1942, Savo Island 1942, New Guinea 1942-44, Leyte Gulf 1944 and Lingayen Gulf 1945. She was finally scrapped in 1954 after steaming an impressive 477,301 miles around the world.