2 Dollars - Elizabeth II 3rd Portrait

Australia's two-dollar coin replaced the two-dollar note in 1988, a decision driven by the Reserve Bank's calculations that coins outlast paper notes by a factor of roughly thirty to one in circulation life. The note had been unpopular anyway — prone to disintegrating in the heat and humidity of northern Australia. Vending machine operators and public transit authorities had lobbied for the change for years.

The aluminium bronze alloy was chosen specifically for its resistance to corrosion and its distinctive gold tone, which helped the public distinguish it quickly from the one-dollar coin introduced the previous year.