The Big Banana welcomes its recognition on Australian legal tender coins

After 14 months of negotiations, during which it was bound by confidentiality agreements, Coffs Harbour’s The Big Banana has revealed that is has been featured as part of newly-released ‘Big Things’ coin collection released by Australia Post and the Royal Australian Mint.

The collectable coins are paying homage to 10 of Australia’s Big Things, with The Big Banana having its very own coin.

Now available for purchase, the $1 coin collection features not only The Big Banana but also other tourism icons, including The Big Pineapple, The Big Jumping Crocodile and The Big Lobster.

Explaining the process by which they came to be feature, a spokesperson for The Big Banana advised that “in July 2022, (we) received an email from the Royal Australian Mint about exploring the unique opportunity for The Big Banana to be featured on an Australian legal tender coin as part of a collection of 10 coins celebrating iconic ‘big’ monuments across Australia.

“The collection was planned to be made available as part of a nationwide collectable coin program, providing the Australian public with access to these coins through their change.

“Confidentiality agreements were signed, the design process began and after many months we are pleased to announce that the coin collection is now available and Coffs Harbour is officially being celebrated for the first time ever on a $1 collectable coin thanks to Australia Post.

“From this week, Australia Post will have limited edition $1 coin and stamp collections available to buy at local post offices or online.”

Celebrating the weird and wonderful ‘Big Things’ found across Australia, enthusiasts can collect 10 different coins, each celebrating one of the nation’s ‘Big Things’.

Other icons in the series also include Western Australia's Giant Ram, The Big Blue Heeler of NSW, Canberra's Big Swoop, Victoria's Giant Koala and Giant Murray Cod, and The Big Tasmanian Devil in Tasmania.

A related stamps collection includes The Big Tasmanian Devil, Giant Murray Cod, Big Swoop, Big Jumping Crocodile and the Giant Koala.

Images: The Big Banana with a giant replica of their Royal Australian Mint coin (top) and the coin in close-up (below).