October 31, 2013 – The Royal Australian Mint, Sydney Opera House and UNESCO have unveiled a new coin design dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of one of the world’s most recognisable and busiest performing arts centres. Australia’s most famous building, a masterpiece of 20th century organic architecture, has been stunningly recreated on a $1 silver proof and $1 uncirculated collectible coins.
Sydney Opera House, as viewed from the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Photo: David Iliff / CC-BY-SA 3.0.
“The Royal Australian Mint is proud to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Sydney Opera House by depicting Jorn Utzon’s famous vaulted sails in coin form, a great reminder of where the structure has come from and its limitless future,” said Royal Australian Mint CEO Ross MacDiarmid.
Opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973, the building welcomes more than 8.2 million visitors on site every year and is a global ambassador for the potential of Australia’s creative and cultural success.
“For the Opera House, in a very real sense, life begins – again – at forty. It is fantastic that the anniversary of this inspired building, which means so much to Australians and represents our nation to the world, is being celebrated on a Royal Australian Mint coin,” said Sydney Opera House Chief Executive Officer Ms Louise Herron AM.
2013 40th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House Silver Proof $1 Coin Reverse (left) and Uncirculated $1 Coin Reverse (right).
The coin design depicts the much loved, UNESCO World Heritage-listed building as seen from the harbour and conveys the familiar curved lines that earned the description of ‘masterpiece of human creative genius’.
“We are proud to partner with the Royal Australian Mint and Sydney Opera House to spread the word globally of the importance of this iconic World Heritage site, that stands proudly on the shores of Sydney Harbour and embodies the creative energy of Australia and its people,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
The new coin is part of an official collection of coins and medallions, produced under an agreement between UNESCO and PAMP S.A (Produits Artistiques Metaux Precieux), that celebrates the Organization’s activities and achievements in education, science, culture and communication, as well as official events, anniversaries, international days, years and decades.
For further information and images of the commemorative coins, please visit the Mint’s website.
In this video you can watch the opera in the shine of a light artwork.
And to discover what’s on at the opera visit the Opera’s website.