Mint issues 50c coin with code to mark 75th year of spy agency Australian Signals Directorate

Australia
By William

>

A new 50c piece released today comes with a hidden code only the sharpest of people will be able to crack

  • New Aussie 50c piece comes with four layers of code symbols on the back 
  • Code contains a message about the spy agency Australian Signals Directorate 
  • The coin marks the agency’s 75th anniversary and the code harks back to WWII 
  • Anyone able to crack the code is a good candidate to be a spy, agency says

By David Southwell For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 11:05 BST, 1 September 2022 | Updated: 11:29 BST, 1 September 2022

<!–

<!–

<!–<!–

<!–

<!–

<!–

A new 50cent coin gives fresh meaning to the term ‘money problems’ because it comes with a devilishly difficult code that would take a spymaster to crack it.

The letters, numbers and symbols engraved on the back of the commemorative coin hide four messages about the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

You won’t be getting it in your change, however, only 50,000 coins are being made and can only be purchased directly from the mint.

A commemorative 50c coin bearing code markings on the back has been issued to mark the 75th anniversary of intelligence agency the Australian Signals Directorate

A commemorative 50c coin bearing code markings on the back has been issued to mark the 75th anniversary of intelligence agency the Australian Signals Directorate

The new 50c coin will not enter general circulation but can be purchased directly from the mint

The new 50c coin will not enter general circulation but can be purchased directly from the mint

The new 50c coin will not enter general circulation but can be purchased directly from the mint

What does the Australian Signals Directorate do?

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) provides intelligence, cyber-security and engages in offensive cyber operations for the Australian government and defence forces.

It secretly monitors and deciphers communications from foreign sources for security purposes.

The agency also secures sensitive military and national security communications. It provides cyber-security support to government, business and the community.

ASD also can launch offshore cyber attacks to disrupt the activities of agents hostile to Australia.

Two other intelligence agencies sit in the Department of Defence, the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AG0) and the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO).

Other national security agencies are the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and the Office of National Assessments (ONA).  

ASD Director-General Rachel Noble said anyone who could crack the code on the coin showed potential to get into the espionage game. 

‘This exciting coin release challenges Australians to engage with the sorts of problem-solving that our talented people at ASD do every day, and might even be a pointer to a new career with us for those who can crack it,’ Ms Noble said.

‘If you love puzzles and solving problems, and if you can discover the messages on our 75th anniversary coin, then a career at ASD may be just what you’re looking for.’

Ms Noble said the four layers of code on the coin represented the evolution of  encryption dating back to World World II. 

ASD Director-General Rachel Noble said anyone who cracked the code would make a good potential recruit for her agency

ASD Director-General Rachel Noble said anyone who cracked the code would make a good potential recruit for her agency

ASD Director-General Rachel Noble said anyone who cracked the code would make a good potential recruit for her agency

‘In World War II, our people, military and civilian, and mostly women … used pencil and paper to decode Japanese military codes, and then re-encode them to send them out to the allies to let them know where Japanese war fighters were,’ she said.

‘We have used that part of our history in different layers, which represent the progress of encryption and technology through our 75 years.

The Australian Signals Directorate is the nation's foremost cyber-security and secret communications agency

The Australian Signals Directorate is the nation's foremost cyber-security and secret communications agency

The Australian Signals Directorate is the nation’s foremost cyber-security and secret communications agency

‘Like the early code breakers in ASD, you can get through some of the layers with but a pencil and paper but, right towards the end, you may need a computer to solve the last level.’ 

Royal Australian Mint CEO Leigh Gordon said developing the coin required intricate design.

‘While the 50 cent piece is Australia’s biggest coin, it still doesn’t have a lot of surface area,’ Mr Gordon said. 

‘Ensuring people could see the code to decrypt it was one of the challenges our people were able to solve with ASD, to create a unique and special product.’

ASD activities include securing sensitive Australian communications, monitoring actors hostile to Australia and countering cyber crime. 

Those interested in buying one of the 50,000 specially printed coins can do so from the Royal Australian Mint. 

You might also like More from author