10 Cents - Elizabeth II (4th Portrait - 1966 Decimal Pattern; Kookaburra)

This coin is part of the Australian 2009 Decimal Pattern series, which revisited the original designs proposed during the country's 1966 transition to decimal currency. While the standard 10-cent coin featuring Stuart Devlin’s iconic lyrebird became the circulating norm, the Royal Australian Mint issued this commemorative piece to highlight the alternative conceptual designs submitted decades earlier by artists such as Andor Mészáros, who had originally proposed the kookaburra motif.

The design features the fourth effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley on the obverse, contrasted with the historic kookaburra reverse. Released as a collector's item, the piece serves as a numismatic retrospective, allowing enthusiasts to hold a physical representation of the 'what-if' history of Australian currency design. It is valued primarily for its historical connection to the creative process that defined the aesthetic of the Australian decimal system.