2016 20 cent coin - ANZAC TO AFGHANISTAN - RATS OF TOBRUK

The Royal Australian Mint in conjunction with some Australian Newspapers released this coin in a coin card as part of a 14 coin set. The first coin came with a large folding album. The series is called ANZACs to Afghanistan.

This 20 Cent coin pays tribute to the 14,000 Australian soldiers who were besieged in Tobruk by Rommel's German-Italian army. The Garrison consisted of the 9th Division, the 18th Brigade, four regiments of British Artillery and some Indian troops. It was vital for the Allies to hold Tobruk and its harbour for the defence of the Suez Canal in Egypt. The Nazi propagandist Lord Haw Haw derided the tenacious defenders as "Rats" - a term that the Australian soldiers embraced as an iconic compliment.

Mintage 245,800