The Mint unveils 12 collectable coins featuring the famous rubber duck and choo choo train from Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book. Here’s the full list
The Royal Australian Mint has released collectable coins to honour one of the country’s most cherished cookbooks – a move sure to delight nostalgic Australian families and collectors alike.
Marking its milestone 45th anniversary this year, The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book, first released in 1980, remains a beloved classic.
A mainstay in Australian households for generations, the book has inspired thousands of homemade birthday celebrations with its bold, quirky – and often delightfully chaotic – cake designs.
From the infamous swimming pool cake (gelatin jelly and all) to the beloved duck with potato crisp lips, the book’s whimsical – and sometimes challenging – creations have become a rite of passage for Aussie parents.
And now, nostalgic shoppers can own a piece of that history with the new coin collection.
‘This coin collection is a tribute that spans generations,’ Royal Australian Mint acting Chief Executive Officer Emily Martin said.
‘Whether you’re a child of the ’80s or beyond, or a collector, you’ll really get the sense of fun this coin collection brings to mind.’
The collectible coins spotlight some of the book’s most iconic designs on official Australian legal tender $1 coins, including Dolly Varden, Rubber Ducky, Humpty Dumpty and the Pool Cake.
The uncirculated $1 coins cost $15 each, with 81,500 coins minted for each design overall. There’s also a $2 coloured hickory dickory watch coin – but it’s part of the 12-coin premium recipe box collection, which retails for $175.
Marking its milestone 45th anniversary this year, The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book, first released in 1980, remains a beloved classic
The Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book coins to collect
The uncirculated $1 coins cost $15 each, with 81,500 coins minted for each design
In a new partnership with newsXpress and the Royal Australian Mint, the coins – designed by the Mint’s Lydia Ashe – will pay tribute to the quirky details of the original cakes, such as popcorn hairstyles, chocolate finger echidna quills, round biscuit wheels and sprinkles galore.
The series features 11 $1 coins and a $2 coloured coin, available in four different packaged formats.
This will include a coin in-card, 10-coin tube and folder, proof coin in the cake book, 12-coin recipe card collection and till coin.
The coins are available now, exclusively at participating newsXpress stores nationwide and on their website, with limited quantities also released through the Mint website.
‘We’re excited to be part of this celebration. We are thrilled to celebrate this iconic book that is dear to the hearts of so many Australians,’ newsXpress Managing Director Mark Fletcher said.
The book continues to sell strongly, with older editions available through most major bookstores and online for just $10.
The Australian Women’s Weekly Editor Sophie Tedmanson said the Children’s Birthday Cake Book is a highlight of the brand’s 92-year history.
‘We are honoured to collaborate with the Royal Australian Mint on a collection that pays tribute to the playful, heartfelt spirit that has defined The Weekly for more than 90 years,’ she said.
The coins will all pay tribute to the quirks of the original cakes, like the popcorn hairstyles, chocolate finger echidna quills, round biscuit wheels and sprinkles galore. Pictured: The book’s popular Duck Cake
The uncirculated $1 coins cost $15 each, with 81,500 coins minted for each design overall
The collectible’s are available from Jun 12, exclusively through participating newsXpress stores nationwide and on their website, with some also expected to be released through the Royal Australian Mint website in limited quantities
‘It’s a beautiful reminder of our legacy and the role we continue to play in the lives of Australian families.’
To ensure buyers don’t fall victim to fakes or scams, the Royal Australian Mint is urging customers to only purchase the new coin collection through the trusted and official retailers or by contacting their official customer service line.
As for why the original Children’s Birthday Cake Book has stood the test of time, one of its original authors, Pamela Clark, once told the ABC she thinks it’s because the cakes were so delightfully imperfect.
‘They look rough and ready, they were rough and ready, and they’re not scary at all, and I think most people, even if they’ve never made a cake before, will give those cakes a go,’ she said.
‘Kids don’t care about the details of the cake, how messy it might look … They realise that this cake has been made with love for them.’
Marking its milestone 45th anniversary this year, AWW’s new partnership with newsXpress and the Royal Australian Mint revealed the collectible coin series spotlighting some of the book’s most iconic designs on official Australian legal tender $1 coins. Pictured: AWW Editor, Sophie Tedmanson at today’s launch event at ARE Media’s head office in Sydney
AWW’s food director Fran Abdallaoui, shared that a heartwarming reunion recently took place with some of the original creators behind the book
At the official coin launch event held on Thursday, the Australian Women’s Weekly food director Fran Abdallaoui shared that a heartwarming reunion recently took place with some of the original creators behind the book.
‘Seeing them all back in the test kitchen together again was so heartwarming,’ she said.
The coin collaboration is a loving tribute to its cultural significance, not just as a recipe book, but as a shared generational experience.
From millennial parents recreating cakes they had as kids to collectors eager to own a slice of Australiana, the coins are a heartfelt nod to 45 years of success for the book.
