Aust bravest strike new VC coins

The writing might be tiny but the intent is clear.

A new commemorative coin to be released by the Royal Australian Mint lists all 100 Australian Victoria Cross recipients, their names engraved around a much larger representation of the VC medal.

To launch this limited edition item, Australia's four living VC recipients - Keith Payne, Ben Roberts-Smith, Daniel Keighran and Mark Donaldson, plus George Cross recipient Michael Pratt - all visited the Mint building to strike examples of the coin. However Mr Pratt doesn't get his name on the coin.

The task involved pressing the buttons of a special press machine which applies tonnes of pressure to copper blanks.

This was a family occasion, with Mark Donaldson delegating the button pushing to his seven-year-old daughter Kaylee.

Mint chief executive Ross MacDiarmid said just 5000 would be produced.

"They are particularly valuable because on the back is microtext with the names of 100 VC recipients in Australia. It is really quite an unusual coin and something we are very proud to be associated with," he told reporters.

The coin, which comes in a display case with outer box, has a face value of $10 and a recommended retail price of $100. They will be sold through a ballot.