20 Cents - Elizabeth II (4th Portrait - Hyper-Metallic Platypus)

The 2013 Australian 20-cent coin featuring the platypus is a standard circulation issue released by the Royal Australian Mint. As part of Australia's decimal coinage, the platypus design has been a fixture of the 20-cent piece since the currency's introduction in 1966. The reverse side was originally designed by Stuart Devlin, an acclaimed goldsmith and jeweler who served as the official designer for much of Australia's circulating coinage for decades, focusing on clean, iconic representations of the nation's unique fauna.

The obverse features the fourth effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, which was utilized on Australian currency from 1999 until 2018. This specific 2013 issue maintains the traditional copper-nickel composition. While the term 'hyper-metallic' is often used in collector circles to describe the specific luster and strike quality of certain modern batches from the Royal Australian Mint, the piece remains a fundamental staple of the Australian monetary system rather than a commemorative rarity.