Treasurer Jim Chalmers' surprise response to 'movement' to get Hamish and Andy their own $1 commemorative coin

The heads on coins are usually reserved for kings and queens, but how about Australian comedy royalty?

Hamish Blake and Andy Lee have long championed the Australian $1 coin, handing out the cash to fans who ask them in the wild.

They've long wondered about getting commemorative coins made and that dream has now been taken straight to the top, as Treasurer Jim Chalmers responded to a query about whether the duo could ever feature on Australian legal tender.

In a sit down with the treasurer, personal finance content creator Natasha Etschmann told Chalmers it was the question her followers most requested she ask him about.

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"You know where ever I go in Australia, people ask me about Hamish and Andy," Chalmers responded.

"I would love to help them out but the best way for them to get themselves on a coin is to marry into the royal family. That would be the most efficient way for them to do that.

"Absent that, I'm open to any ideas. We thought about minting them some chocolate coins but that seemed maybe insufficient – but there's a whole movement brewing for Hamish and Andy to be on the coin."

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One of the treasurer's colleagues was responsible for the Royal Australian Mint... and judging from his name, you'd think he'd have a vested interest in the cause.

Chalmers said he'd spoken to Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh – yes, Andy Leigh – about Hamish and Andy's quest on a couple of occasions "but we haven't made enough progress on that for me to ring them and say 'we're sorted'."

It's not a yes, but it's also not a no.

Andy reacted to the news on Instagram, sharing Natasha's post to his Instagram Story and writing: "So you're saying we're a chance!"

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Hamish and Andy first floated the idea for a $1 commemorative coin in a March 2024 episode of their podcast.

Inspired by their penchant for giving fans they meet $1, Andy said they were "championing dollar coins and cash" more than anyone else in Australia.

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