2017 Possum Magic $2 Coin
The 2017 Possum Magic $2 is a circulating $2 coin. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2017
- Circulation mintage
- Not published
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2017 Possum Magic $2 worth?
Circulated colored $2 coins like the 2017 Possum Magic $2 usually change hands close to face value. Complete sets still in their collector cards and coins with unworn color bring a little more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Intact, unworn color
- Uncirculated condition
- Original card or collector folder
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2017 Possum Magic $2 rare?
- No. It was made in large numbers, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2017 Possum Magic $2 coins were made?
- The Royal Australian Mint has not published a circulation figure in our source.
- What is the 2017 Possum Magic $2 made of?
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel). It weighs 6.6 g and measures 20.5 mm.
- Is the 2017 Possum Magic $2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every $2 coin, colored commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2017 Possum Magic $2 was made
Possum Magic, written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas, was first published in 1983 and has become one of Australia's best loved picture books. It follows Grandma Poss and Hush, a little possum made invisible by her grandmother's bush magic, as they travel around Australia eating local foods to make her visible again. Its pictures of Australian foods, from lamingtons to pavlova, made it a fixture in homes and classrooms. In 2017 the Royal Australian Mint turned the book into a set of colored coins.
Three different colored $2 designs were part of the release and they reached the public through a supermarket promotion with collectible cards made to hold them. No mintage total has been published for the $2 coins. The release proved hugely popular with families, many of whom grew up with the book themselves and it helped prove that colored coins could draw in people who had never thought of collecting before. Coins taken out of the cards and spent are what you're most likely to find in change today, usually with the brightest colors rubbed away first.
How to recognize it
Each of the three $2 designs is printed in several colors: one has pink, purple, orange and blue; another has red, orange, purple, yellow and blue; the third has blue, navy, pink, orange and green. The multicolored reverse makes these coins easy to spot in change, since no other 2017 $2 looks remotely similar. The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Elizabeth II with IRB under the neck and the date 2017. The coins are standard in size, weight and metal: 20.5 mm, 6.6 g and aluminum bronze. All three use the 2017 date, so the color combination is the only way to tell them apart.
2017 Possum Magic $2 by the numbers
The Royal Australian Mint has not published a circulation figure for the 2017 Possum Magic $2 in our source, so it cannot be ranked against other $2 coins yet.
It was released in 2017 alongside 3 other circulating $2 coin designs: the Remembrance (Rosemary) (2.1 million), the Lest We Forget (3.9 million) and the 2017 Australian $2 (16.4 million).
What to check on your 2017 Possum Magic $2
- Confirm the design: Possum Magic dated 2017, with the colored panel (Pink/Purple/Orange/Blue, Red/Orange/Purple/Yellow/Blue, Blue/Navy/Pink/Orange/Green).
- Never clean a colored coin. Rubbing or solvents strip the color, which is most of what collectors are paying for.
- Check the edge: Australian $2 coins have interrupted milling, with sections of reeding separated by smooth gaps.
- Weigh it if you are unsure: a genuine $2 coin weighs 6.6 g and is 20.5 mm across.
Because no mintage has been published, it's hard to say exactly how these compare with other colored coins, but they were widely distributed and turn up regularly. Circulated coins with worn color trade near face value. A full set of three in clean condition, ideally still in the card, is what most collectors want and can bring a small premium. The busy, multicolored designs show wear quickly, so look at the small details before buying. Keep them away from cleaning products altogether.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 dollars |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2017 |
| Circulation mintage | Not published |
| Composition | Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 6.6 g |
| Diameter | 20.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Interrupted milling |
| Colors | Pink/Purple/Orange/Blue; Red/Orange/Purple/Yellow/Blue; Blue/Navy/Pink/Orange/Green |
Other 2017 $2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Australian $2 Coin | 16,400,000 | Face value |
| 2017 Lest We Forget $2 Coin | 3,900,000 | Face value |
| 2017 Remembrance (Rosemary) $2 Coin | 2,100,000 | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
How many Possum Magic $2 coins are there?
There are three different $2 designs in the Possum Magic release, each with its own combination of colors. They were issued in 2017 and came with collectible cards to hold the set.
How many Possum Magic $2 coins were made?
No mintage total has been published for the Possum Magic $2 coins. They were widely distributed through a supermarket promotion, so they're not hard to find, especially with worn color.
Mintage figures: Australian two-dollar coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.