An eight-year-old boy from Melbourne, Julius Jungerth, minted the world's first coin of 2026 at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra on New Year's Day. Jungerth's name was selected via a ballot from a pool of several hundred individuals.
Jungerth's family was visiting the Mint on holiday. His father, Frans Jungerth, stated that Julius had requested they attend the early morning event to participate.
Coin Minting Process
A random ballot is conducted annually to select 100 individuals who are given the opportunity to press the first 100 coins of the year. Each participant receives their minted coin presented in a box accompanied by a statement of authenticity. Due to Australia's geographical position, these coins were the first to be minted globally for the year 2026.
Emily Martin, CEO of the Royal Australian Mint, affirmed that January 1 holds significance for coin collectors. She noted that 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of decimal currency in Australia, a milestone depicted on the newly minted coin.
The coin features animals from Stuart Devlin's original 1966 coin designs. These include the frilled-neck lizard, echidna, lyrebird, platypus, emu, kangaroo, feathertail glider, and the Southern Cross constellation.
Collector Participation
Coin enthusiasts gathered at the Mint in the early hours of New Year's Day. Todd O'Rourke, a fifth-generation coin collector, began queuing before 3:00 AM but was not selected in the ballot. He stated that the opportunity to mint the first coin of the year was appealing and noted the social aspect of connecting with other collectors.
Another participant, Robert Tucker, acquired three of the first 100 coins. He indicated that he attends the event most years and planned to eventually pass the coins to his son.