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The Perth Mint will release (5th October) new commemorative dollar coins that are designed for new Australian citizens as well as as an expression of pride and happiness for all those who choose to make Australia home.
The word “citizenship” has many different meanings to many different people and can range from civil liberties gained by way of constitutional government from the right of birth to that which was obtained through naturalisation. The journey to becoming an Australian national via naturalisation is a once in a lifetime event and culminates at an official citizenship ceremony where immigrants, soon to be citizens, proceed to take the Australian citizenship pledge.
In 1949, during the inaugural year of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948, Australian citizenship was granted to just 2,493 people from just over 35 different nationalities. Last year, that number increased significantly from those seen in 1948 with a total of 140,748 people becoming Australian citizens by conferral, representing over 200 different nationalities. The oath of citizenship is as follows:
I, (name) renouncing all other allegiance, swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Australia, Her heirs and successors according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Australia and fulfil my duties as an Australian citizen.
The oath confirms that new citizen makes the pledge as a public commitment to Australia. It means they are no longer a foreigner and are accepting the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. Essentially, a new chapter in the lives of many people begins in which new family traditions are passed onto the next generation of those born as Australians.
Appropriately designed, the 2022-dated Australian Citizenship coin, first launched in 2009, depicts Australia’s very distinctive national coat of arms. Comprising the Commonwealth Star above a shield consisting of the badges of the six states, the coat of arms includes representations of golden wattle, Australia’s floral emblem, and two native animals — the kangaroo and emu. Included on the coin’s reverse are the inscription AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP and the Perth Mint’s standard P mintmark.
The obverse side includes the Commonwealth effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II created by engraver Jody Clark and included on Australian coinage since 2019. The year of minting, 2022, and denomination of 1 DOLLAR are also shown on the obverse.
| Denom. |
Metal |
Weight | Diameter | Quality |
Maximum Mintage |
| One dollar |
Aluminum-bronze |
13.5 g | 30.7 mm | Brilliant Unc. |
Unlimited |
The coin is presented in a coloured display card featuring the Australian flag and a representation of the five stars of the Southern Cross constellation. A certificate of authenticity is also included, featuring a fold-out stand for upright display. For additional information about this coin and other citizenship coins from previous years, please visit the website of the Perth Mint.
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It’s great that you are promoting the Australian Citizenship Coin. However the wording of Citizenship Oath you refer to has not been used since 1994.
I suggest you update your article using the correct wording on the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs website. See: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/ceremony/what-is-the-pledge
Hello Peter,
I stand corrected, for this article, I asked a good friend who was naturalised in Australia years ago – neither of us were aware the oath had been updated to the following:
Pledge 1:
From this time forward, under God,
I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,
whose democratic beliefs I share,
whose rights and liberties I respect, and
whose laws I will uphold and obey.
Pledge 2:
From this time forward,
I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,
whose democratic beliefs I share,
whose rights and liberties I respect, and
whose laws I will uphold and obey.
The change did replace the oath or affirmation of allegiance and removal of reference to the Crown In 1993. The new pledge replaced the old Oath of Allegiance with a Pledge of Commitment as a Citizen of the Country of Australia.
Thank you for your input and steering me in the right direction 🙂
Thank you for your response.
I was personally involved in the change so I am very familiar with it. There is an interesting story behind the new wording, but I won’t go into that now.
Hope you can update your website so as to more accurately inform your readers/buyers.
For the record, your graphic shows a person raising their right-hand, presumably taking the citizenship pledge in the form of an oath, but there is no legal requirement whatsoever for anyone to raise their hand at Australian citizenship ceremonies. People can choose to do so, but I have rarely seen it done.
Regards, Peter
Hello Peter,
I would very much like to know the story behind the change in oath, I always say that every coin tells a story and we see this every day here at Coinupdate.com where the conversation begins with just one reader like yourself adding to the comments section.
The addition of the man raising his hand in the graphic was added only to emphasise the solemn oath about to be taken. I believe there are options in many countries where this may now be omitted, This was just me attempting to be creative.
I have included the updated oath in my reply in the hope that between the two of us, the article now reads more accurately. This is why we try not to correct the original text unless there is an error in the coins’ description or specifications, and your comments remain relevant 🙂