Product Description
Specifications
1999 Coins of the Snowy Mountains Scheme 2 Silver Coin Set
Product Overview
The 1999 Coins of the Snowy Mountains Scheme 2 Silver Coin Set was issued by the Royal Australian Mint to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, one of the largest and most significant engineering projects undertaken in Australia.
The set contains two $10 coins, each struck from 20.77 grams of .999 fine silver, giving the complete set a total silver weight of 41.54 grams. Complementary reverse designs celebrate the enormous construction effort behind the Scheme, depicting its tunnels, dams, alpine lakes and the workers who helped transform the ambitious project into reality.
The Snowy Mountains release was also the third and final issue in the Royal Australian Mint's Australian Landmarks series. Limited to 20,000 sets, the two coins are individually encapsulated and presented together in their Royal Australian Mint presentation case with Certificate of Authenticity.
Key Features & Benefits
- Two-Coin Silver Set – Includes two complementary $10 Snowy Mountains Scheme coins.
- 41.54g Fine Silver – Each coin contains 20.77g of .999 fine silver.
- 50th Anniversary Issue – Commemorates 50 years since work on the Snowy Mountains Scheme began in 1949.
- Two Complementary Designs – Celebrates the tunnels, dams, alpine landscape and people behind the Scheme.
- Reverse-Frosted Finish – Features a distinctive collector finish rather than a conventional proof treatment.
- Final Australian Landmarks Release – Concludes the Royal Australian Mint's three-part series.
- Mintage of 20,000 Sets – A defined release produced for the collector market.
- Original Presentation – Coins are individually encapsulated and supplied in a presentation case with Certificate of Authenticity.
Design & Craftsmanship
Designed as a pair, the two reverses tell different parts of the Snowy Mountains Scheme story. One coin focuses on the enormous tunnelling and construction effort, depicting workers and a completed tunnel with railway tracks leading through the composition.
The companion coin looks towards the completed infrastructure, portraying a construction worker before a dam wall and alpine lake, with the Snowy Mountains rising in the background. Together, the designs move from the people and engineering required to build the Scheme to the monumental landscape it created.
Both reverses were designed by Vladimir Gottwald and carry the inscription THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS SCHEME together with the 10 DOLLARS denomination.
The obverse of each coin features Ian Rank-Broadley's effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced to Australian circulating and collector coinage in 1999.
Authentication & Specifications
Mint: Royal Australian Mint
Country: Australia
Year: 1999
Series: Australian Landmarks
Theme: Snowy Mountains Scheme
Product Type: Two-Coin Silver Collector Set
Metal: Silver
Purity: 99.9% / .999 Fine Silver
Weight: 20.77g per coin
Total Silver Weight: 41.54g
Fine Silver Content: Approx. 1.3356 Troy Oz per set
Diameter: 34mm per coin
Denomination: 2 × $10 AUD
Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated / Reverse Frosted
Obverse: Queen Elizabeth II
Obverse Designer: Ian Rank-Broadley
Reverse: Snowy Mountains Scheme Construction Scenes
Reverse Designer: Vladimir Gottwald
Edge: Plain
Mintage: 20,000 Sets
Packaging: Presentation Case with Certificate of Authenticity
Packaging & Availability
Both coins are individually encapsulated and housed together in the Royal Australian Mint's blue hinged presentation case, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
NOTE: This piece shows signs of wear consistent with age of item
With a mintage of 20,000 sets, the 1999 Snowy Mountains Scheme release completed the Australian Landmarks series and commemorated an important chapter in Australia's engineering and social history.
Discover More
Explore our range of silver coins, including Royal Australian Mint commemoratives, Australian historical releases and collectible silver coin sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Snowy Mountains Scheme significant to Australian history?
The Snowy Mountains Scheme was one of Australia's largest engineering and infrastructure projects, involving an extensive network of dams, power stations, tunnels and aqueducts. Construction began in 1949 and brought together workers from Australia and many other countries, making the Scheme significant not only for engineering and hydroelectricity but also for Australia's post-war development.
Why were two coins used to commemorate the Snowy Mountains Scheme?
The two-coin format allows the Royal Australian Mint to tell a broader story. One design focuses on the workers and tunnel construction, while the other depicts a dam, alpine lake and the surrounding Snowy Mountains. Together they represent both the human effort required to build the Scheme and the infrastructure that resulted.
What is significant about this set within the Australian Landmarks series?
The 1999 Snowy Mountains Scheme coins were the third and final release in the Royal Australian Mint's Australian Landmarks series. They followed the 1997 Coins of the Harbour City set and the 1998 Coins of the Victorian Capital set, making the Snowy Mountains pair the concluding chapter of the three-year collection.
What makes this set appealing to collectors?
The set combines Australian history, distinctive reverse-frosted designs, .999 fine silver and a two-coin presentation format. Its position as both a 50th-anniversary commemorative and the final Australian Landmarks release also gives it a clear place within Royal Australian Mint collecting.
Condition Note: This is a vintage collectible. Minor imperfections to the coins, capsules, Certificate of Authenticity, presentation case or other packaging may be present and are considered consistent with age, storage and previous handling. Individual examples may vary slightly in appearance.
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