5 Dollars - Elizabeth II 4th Portrait - Badminton

Issued as part of the Royal Australian Mint's extended program commemorating the Sydney 2000 Olympics, this piece belongs to a series that ultimately ran to 28 individual sport designs — an unusually ambitious scope for a circulating commemorative program. The aluminium bronze composition was chosen precisely because these were intended for genuine circulation, not just collector purchase, though most were pulled from change and hoarded almost immediately upon release.

Badminton debuted as a full Olympic medal sport only in 1992 at Barcelona.