The Royal Australian Mint is ending an annual line-up for the first coin of the year that once had some waiting for a week, replacing it with a new raffle system randomly awarding the sought-after prize.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Avid collectors won't be allowed on site until 6am on New Year's Day when they can begin queueing to receive one of 100 raffle tickets for the first coin struck anywhere in the world in 2018.
In previous years, people waited multiple days for the first coin, an instant-collectible and immediately-valuable item.
With the raffle drawn at random, the mint has removed the advantage to those willing to sit patiently outside for the coin.
Every year since 2013, Sydney teenager Harley Russo grabbed the number one position in the queue -except for last year when Belconnen teenager Luke Marshall took first spot arriving at lunchtime on Christmas Day.
A crowd of more than 160 people arrived on Sunday to enter a raffle for another valuable coin, the last made in 2017.
Long-time collector Ted Silk was the holder of the winning ticket, and will also enter the draw on New Year's Day.
Mr Silk, who used to try getting the first coin of the year before multi-day line-ups started, began his collection when the first dollar coins entered circulation in 1984.
"I made a decision then, 'How hard can it be to collect these coins every year? And I will do it every year till the day I die'," he said.
Holders of the first minted coin from previous years agreed the new raffle system was an improvement.
Belinda Curby, who got the first coin in 2009, believed it was fairer and added more excitement on the day.
