Despite restrictions in the 1903 Defence Act preventing those “not substantially of European origin or descent” from enlisting, thousands of Indigenous Australians volunteered to serve the nation that denied them the rights they were fighting to defend.

Once accepted for service, individuals often experienced a sense of friendship and equality that was absent from civilian life, with access to training, education, travel and equal pay. While friendships endured long after the war, equality did not.

Each mint roll consists of 25 coins and is certified by an official holographic sticker on the iconic brown wrapping.

Coin Features

• Commemorating Indigenous Australia’s longstanding tradition of serving in the military
• Coin’s reverse based on the painting Indigenous Military Service by Kalkadoon artist Chern’ee Sutton
• Obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II sculpted by Jody Clark
• Comes in a roll of 25, certified by a holographic sticker
• Australian legal tender

Technical Specifications