2 Cents - Elizabeth II (4th Portrait - Stuart Devlin Exhibition)

The 2017 two-cent coin featuring the fourth effigy of Queen Elizabeth II was produced by the Royal Australian Mint as part of a commemorative set honoring the numismatic legacy of Stuart Devlin. Devlin, the renowned goldsmith and designer who created Australia's original decimal coinage series in 1966, was celebrated for his iconic reverses, such as the frilled-neck lizard featured on the two-cent piece. By 2017, the two-cent denomination had long been removed from active circulation following its demonetization in 1992, making this specific strike a dedicated collector's issue intended to bridge historical design with modern minting techniques.

This edition showcases Ian Rank-Broadley’s fourth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which was the standard effigy for Australian coinage from 1999 to 2018. The design choice reflects a deliberate nod to the transition of Australian currency aesthetics, pairing Devlin's classic 1966 reverse imagery with the refined portraiture that defined the turn of the millennium. The series was met with enthusiasm by the numismatic community, who valued the opportunity to acquire high-quality, non-circulating specimens of denominations that had effectively disappeared from the daily commerce of the Australian public.