Royal Australian Mint issues coin to celebrate rock band AC/DC

The new legal tender coin is said to be "in the spirit of AC/DC and their hit single 'Thunderstruck'" and the Mint partnered with Questacon, The National Science and Technology Centre, to strike its AC/DC coins "with a bolt of man-made lightning". 

The statement from the Royal Australian Mint said:

"The experiment was conducted in the Caged Lightning exhibition at Questacon, which produces lightning using a Tesla coil. Ten AC/DC 50 cent pieces, appropriately featuring the famous high voltage logos and design elements from AC/DC albums, were 'Thunderstruck' with 3,500,000 volts of lightning."

Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer Ross MacDiarmid said:

“AC/DC is famous for their electrifying energy. It’s in their music, the titles of some of their songs, even their insignia. The Mint thought that such an iconic band deserved high voltage coins and an electrifying launch to match. We weren’t sure what effect the lightning would have on the coins, but we discovered that because the coins are such excellent conductors of electricity, the lightning’s mark is only visible under magnification.”

Ten of the 30,000 coins were ‘Thunderstruck’ and will be randomly sent to ten customers who order their 'AC/DC – 45 Years of Thunder Uncirculated Coin' through the Mint’s online store or Contact Centre. 

The results are in, thanks to @questacon we now know what happens when you strike the new AC⚡DC 50c piece with 3.5 million volts of man-made lightning. Get yours today: https://t.co/JgGXhQY6G0 pic.twitter.com/0DZMK03Odw

— RoyalAustralianMint (@RoyalAustMint) October 2, 2018

A second coin minted for AC/DC’s 45th anniversary is the Mint’s first ever nickel plated coin. The black coin's design is minted on a triangular blank to resemble a guitar pick. The design elements have also been drawn from AC/DC’s album artwork and the amp-inspired packaging includes an actual guitar pick.

Find out more at the Royal Australian Mint website.