Rare Bluey coin controversy: Prices hit $375 as Aussies call out ...

The Royal Mint released the Bluey Dollarbucks coins today and prices have already skyrocketed. (Source: 9News/Royal Mint)

Queues of Aussies lined up at the Royal Mint in Canberra this morning, eager to get their hands on $1 coins featuring everyone’s favourite blue heeler, Bluey. Despite only being released to the public today, the price has already skyrocketed online leaving some collectors frustrated.

The 2024 Bluey Dollarbucks - a collection of three colourful coins featuring the Heeler family - went up for sale today via the Mint shop, call centre and distributors, with Aussies also able to enter into a ballot for the coins. Individual coins were available for $20 each, while a full set was $55.

According to the Royal Mint, only 30,000 of each coin and 30,000 sets were minted, making them a hot commodity for Bluey fans as well as resellers.

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The price of the coins have already skyrocketed, with an eBay search showing three-coin sets have sold for as much as $375 today. That’s more than six times the coin set’s original price.

Individual coins are also in high demand, with one coin featuring the Bluey selling for $175 and another with the Heeler family netting $150.

The Royal Mint confirmed all Bluey coins were now sold out at its temporary coin shop, while only a limited number of three-coin sets were still available through the call centre. Many distributors have also now sold out of the coins.

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The three coins feature Bluey, the Heelers, and Bluey and Bingo dressed as The Grannies. (Source: Royal Mint)

Aussies who were unable to get their hands on the coins have taken to social media to express their disappointment.

“Great system, all the flippers already have them listed on eBay. Those of us who actually want to collect them still miss out,” one person said.

“This whole thing is an absolute disgrace!!!!! Why can't every child have the chance to have the coins not just the rich, they are already on eBay for hundreds of dollars,” another said.

Replying to the comments, the Royal Mint said it understood people’s frustration but the coins were only produced to a limited mintage, making them more desirable.

“We dislike this as much as you. But like all retailers, once we’ve sold the coin, it’s sold. Retailers have no control over what a buyer then chooses to do. The secondary market affects anything that's in high demand,” the Mint said.

Other Aussies said they were unable to get through to the Mint’s call centre, with some complaining their calls kept on getting disconnected.

“Unable to even be on hold on the phone, straight disconnected. Multiple attempts all failed!” one said.

“Calling on the phone line - connected through twice and was on hold, only to have the call disconnect,” another said.

The Mint recently brought in a new online ballot system through online commerce platform EQL. In announcing the system, it acknowledged the “need for a better, fairer system to make our products available to the Australian community”.

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