Horst Hahne, Australian Coin Designer

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Horst Hahne in 2016.

Horst Hahne was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1940. After leaving school he trained as a typographic hand engraver. In 1959 he emigrated to Australia, where he found work as a hand engraver.  He joined the Royal Australian Mint as a hand engraver in 1965, and was appointed Chief Engraver in 1979. After completing designs for many coins and medals at RAM, Mr Hahne retired in 1998. He now lives in Brisbane, and is a keen bird watcher.

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Mr Hahne is best known for his portrayal of an Aboriginal elder on the reverse of Australia's standard circulation two dollar coin, which was first issued in 1988.

The elder portrayed on the coin is known as One Pound Jimmy. He is pictured on the left, on "walkabout" in the Australian bush, in the photo above.

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In 1979 he designed the reverse of a special fifty cents coin for Fiji.

It commemorated the Food and Agricultural Organisation and depicted sugar cane.

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In 1987 he designed the reverses for the Cooks Islands' $2 and $5 coins.

They portray a grinding table and a Triton seashell respectively.

The following year he designed the reverse of their 50 tene coin.

It depicts a swimming turtle.

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A few years ago I found the email address of Horst Hahne and emailed him. He is most notable for having designed the reverse of the Australian circulating two dollar coin. He sent me his CV and said I was free to copy it to collectors. Eventually Paul Baker (africancoins) corresponded with him and wrote an article about him for Coin News (UK) as a result. Here is an extract from Mr. Hahne's CV of 1998.

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HORST HAHNE

Born in Frankfurt/Main, West Germany in 1940.  Educated to intermediate standard before starting my Apprenticeship as a Typographic Art and Hand Engraver in 1955.  After the successful completion of Apprenticeship, I migrated to Australia in December 1959, to work for the Griffin Press, Adelaide SA (a subsidiary of the Advertiser Newspaper Ltd) as a graphic art hand engraver.

Joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1965 at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra when offered a position as hand engraver of coinage and medal dies.  This position was held until appointment as Mint Craftsman IV in 1969.  In 1979 appointed Chief Engraver of the Royal Australian Mint, responsible for the operation of the Engraving Section, which includes creative designing and sculpturing of plaster models as well as hand engraving of coins and medal dies.  Promoted to Director of Design & Engraving/Senior Officer Grade C in 1987.  Promoted to Design and Engraving Director/Senior Officer Grade B in 1989.

Spent seven years studying Sculpture and Figure and Portrait Drawing on a part-time basis at the Canberra School of Art, as well as having studied typographic designing during my Apprenticeship.

In 1983 I undertook private fact-finding visits to the Stuttgart Mint in West Germany and to the Philadelphia Mint in the USA and in 1986 visited the San Francisco Mint.  All three visits were of great interest, most importantly on a professional basis to view their techniques first-hand and the type of work undertaken and standards upheld by their Engraving Sections.

In 1989 I attended Europe's "Mint Technical Conference" in Hamburg, a gathering of technical experts of Europe and the USA on minting technology and exchange of information.  Also I visited Mints in Paris, Vienna, Stuttgart, Munich, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Denver Mint in USA.

Of great personal satisfaction was the receipt of an invitation in 1986 to enter the Defence Force Awards Competition in Australia, and in 1987 to receive a request to submit an entry in the Franco-Australian Friendship Medal competition which was conducted in conjunction with the Australian Bicentennial celebrations, being open to interested Australian citizens and also to French citizens.

In 1987 and 1988 I was invited to enter a design competition for the Australian $200 gold coin designs and was successful in both.

In 1988 I won the design competition for our new $2 coin to replace the $2 banknote.

In 1989 the Royal Australian Mint developed a Piedfort $10 silver coin series called "Birds of Australia" and my designs of the Kookaburra, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Jabiru, Emperor Penguin, Palm Cockatoo and Wedge Tail Eagle adorn the Standard and Piedfort version.

Also in 1989 the Mint developed a $200 Gold Coin Series called the "PRIDE OF AUSTRALIA" and my designs of the Frill Necked Lizard, Platypus, Emu, Spiny Anteater, Squirrel Glider, as well as the Tasmanian Devil are featured on the proof and uncirculated versions.

In 1990 I was invited by the Singapore Mint to enter a coin design competition for their 25th Anniversary of Independence.

Also in 1990 I received a private invitation from the Royal Australian Mint in conjunction with four other Mints, to participate in a three coin design competition for the Olympic Centenary Coin Program by the International Olympic Committee for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA.

In October 1990 I visited Lausanne, Switzerland to participate in the Chief Engraver's Meeting of the International Olympic Committee Coin Program for 1996.  A visit to Stuart Devlin in London and Taisie Stamps and Coins in Singapore on Mint projects made this a very educational experience.

In 1991 I was selected to sculpture the three winning designs for the International Olympic Committee Centenary Coin Program, "Gymnast", "Swimmers"; "Women on Dais".

Gave several TV and Radio interviews during that year to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Decimal Coinage.

Presented a paper on O S P/130 Optical Profiler in the German language at the International Mint Technical Conference in Stuttgart/Germany.

Visited on Mint business the United Kingdom Mint, Spanish Mint, German Mint/Stuttgart, Italian Mint and the School of Medallic Art in Rome.

In 1992 I proposed that a copy of the present reduction machine "JANVIER" be built under contract by S Tokarski of the Engraving Section and S Rucinski of the Toolroom.  These Janvier machines are no longer available for purchase.  I was the Product Manager and the project was completed on time and on budget and was called "RAMSTAN" and commissioned on 27 May 1992.

During the early part of that year the Engraving Section, under my supervision, successfully completed a refurbishment to make it the ideal working environment in which to be creative and efficient, the best in the world.  This was also the year where I successfully negotiated six month's study leave for W Pietranik at the famous "School of Medallic Art" in Rome.

1993 was the wonderful year when I received my  "AUSTRALIAN DESIGN AWARD" for my S10 Bird Series; a highlight in a long career at the Royal Australian Mint.  Never before had a coin design as a product received a national and prestigious Australian Design Award.

I also designed and sculptured Australia's first one ounce pure silver coin (.999), the flying Kangaroo design, in 1993 which sold over 50,000 coins on the overseas market and a total of 150,000.   A great success story all round.  This was followed up with further Kangaroo designs for 1994 (flying Kangaroo), 1995 Kangaroo head only, 1996 Kangaroo and Joey, 1997 Kangaroo drinking at the waterhole and finally in 1998 another flying Kangaroo facing to the left.

1994 was the year when I designed the "AUSTRALIA'S OLYMPIC HERITAGE SILVER SERIES".  The designs featured Edwin Flack, Sarah Durack followed by Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser and came to a conclusion with Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland.

In May 1994 I was invited by the Department of Administrative Services/Awards and National Symbols Branch to design the new Civilian Service Medal 1939-45 for members of designated civilian service groups not previously recognised by existing World War II awards.  All previous Australian Honour Awards were designed by Stuart Devlin of England.  Because of my international reputation as a world class coin designer gained over the past fifteen years, the above department felt confident that the task of designing the Civilian Service Medal could be executed satisfactorily by myself here in Australia instead of going overseas for it.  My design was approved by Queen Elizabeth II in December 1994.

In 1995 I designed the Australian 50 cent coin to commemorate 50 years of the end of World War II with the "WEARY DUNLOP" design.

Early in 1995 I developed and designed the " FLORAL EMBLEMS OF AUSTRALIA" Series, a 999.9 gold coin paying tribute to the Floral Emblems of all nine states and territories.

Also for the first time in the history of Australia's decimal coinage, the 20 cent reverse design was changed with my design for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, released in October 1995 by Senator Evans.

On 2 August 1995 I completed thirty years service with the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra.  Since 1979 I have been their Chief Engraver and Designer.

In January 1996 I found my name on the New Year Honour's List. In April that year, Governor General William Dean presented me with the "PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL" for outstanding service in the government public service, a great honour indeed.

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MAJOR COIN DESIGNS & BASE SCUPTURES:

COINS

1   Fiji F.A.O. 50 cent   1979 reverse/Sugar-World   Designed/Sculptured

2   Western Samoa $1 obv   1970 (Coat of Arms)   Designed/Sculptured
3   Western Samoa 50 sene   1987 (Coat of Arms)   Designed/Sculptured

4   Tokelau 1 Tala reverse   1980 (Crab)   Sculptured

5    New Zealand 5c reverse   1989 (Heron)   Designed/Sculptured
6   New Zealand $1 reverse   1989 (Treaty of Waitangi)   Designed
7   New Zealand $5 reverse   1990 (75 ANZAC Sold/Flag   Designed

8    Cook Island $2 reverse   1987 (Grinding Table)   Designed/Sculptured
9    Cook Island $5 reverse   1987 (Shell)   Designed/Sculptured
10   Cook Island 50c reverse   1988 (Turtle)   Designed/Sculptured

11   Australia $10 reverse   1985 (Vic Coat of Arms)   Designed/Sculptured
12   Australia $10 reverse   1986 (S A Coat of Arms)   Designed/Sculptured
13    Australia $10 reverse   1987 (NSW Coat of Arms)   Designed/Sculptured
14   Australia $10 reverse   1989 (Qld Coat of Arms   Designed
15   Australia $10 reverse   1990 (WA Coat of Arms)   Designed
16   Australia $10 reverse   1991 (Tas Coat of Arms)   Designed
17   Australia $10 reverse   1992 (NT Coat of Arms)   Designed
18   Australia $10 reverse   1993 (ACT Coat of Arms)   Designed

19   Australia $10 reverse   1994 Olympic Heritage/E Flack   Designed
20   Australia $10 reverse   1994 Olympic Heritage/Durack   Designed
21   Australia $10 reverse   1995 Olympic Heritage/M Rose    Designed
22   Australia $10 reverse   1995 Olympic Heritage/Fraser   Designed
23   Australia $10 reverse   1996 Olympic Heritage/Cuthbert    Designed
24   Australia $10 reverse   1996 Olympic Heritage/Strickland   Designed

25   Australia $1 reverse      1986 (International Year of Peace)   Designed/Sculptured
26   Australia $2 reverse      1988 (Aboriginal Elder)   Designed/Sculptured
27   Australia 50c reverse   1992 (Year of Space)   Sculptured
28   Australia $20  I O C      1993 (Three women/$20)   Sculptured
29   Australia $20  I O C      1993 (Swimmers /$20)   Sculptured
30   Australia $20  I O C      1993 (Gymnast/$200) Gold   Sculptured
31   Australia $1 reverse      1993 (Silver 1 oz Kangaroo)   Designed/Sculptured
32   Australia $1 reverse      1994 (Silver 1 oz Kangaroo)   Designed/Sculptured
33   Australia $1 reverse      1995 (Silver 1 oz Kangaroo)   Designed/Sculptured
34   Australia $1 reverse      1996 (Silver 1 oz Kangaroo)   Designed/Sculptured
35   Australia $1 reverse      1997 (Silver 1 oz Kangaroo)   Designed/Sculptured
36   Australia $1 reverse      1998 (Silver 1 oz Kangaroo)   Designed/Sculptured

37   Australia $200 reverse   1987 (A.Phillip/Portsmouth)   Designed/Sculptured
38.   Australia $200 reverse   1988 (A.Phillip/Syd Cove)   Designed/Sculptured
39.   Australia $200 reverse   1989 (Fill Necked Lizard)   Designed/Sculptured
40   Australia $200 reverse   1990 (Platypus)   Designed/Sculptured
41   Australia $200 reverse   1991 (Emu)   Designed
42   Australia $200 reverse   1992 (Echidna)   Designed
43   Australia $200 reverse   1993 (Squirrel Glider)   Designed
44   Australia $200 reverse   1994 (Tasmanian Tiger)   Designed/Sculptured

45   Australia 50cent rev      1995 Weary Dunlop   Designed/Sculptured
46   Australia 20cent rev      1995 50 years United Nation   Designed/Sculptured

47   Australia $150 reverse   1995 Gold Floral NSW Waratah   Designed/Sculptured
48   Australia $100 reverse   1995 Gold Floral NSW Waratah   Designed/Sculptured
49   Australia $150 reverse   1996 Gold Floral Tas Blue Gum   Designed/Sculptured
50   Australia $100 reverse   1996 Gold Floral Tas Blue Gum   Designed/Sculptured
51   Australia $100 reverse   1997 Gold Floral WA Kang. Paw      Designed/Sculptured
52   Australia $150 reverse   1997 Gold Floral WA Kang. Paw      Designed/Sculptured
53   Australia $100 reverse   1998 Gold Floral SA Sturt Pea   Designed/Sculptured
54   Australia $150 reverse   1998 Gold Floral SA Sturt Pea    Designed/Sculptured

55   Australia $1 reverse      1996 30 years of Decimal Coin   Designed/Sculptured
56   Australia $1 reverse      1997 70 years; old Parliament   Designed/Sculptured
57   Australia $1 reverse      1998 10 years; new Parliament    Designed/Sculptured

58   Australia $10 reverse   1997 Landmarks/Sydney Opera House   Designed
59   Australia $10 reverse   1997 Landmarks/Sydney Harbour Bridge   Designed   
60   Australia $1 reverse      1998 Howard Florey Centenary      Designed

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MAJOR MEDAL AND MEDALLION DESIGNS & BASE SCULPTURES:

ANZAC Peace Prize
HMAS 'CANBERRA' Silver Jubilee Medal
HMAS 'MELBOURNE' Silver Jubilee Medal
Public Seal for Norfolk Island
Australian National University Medal
JG Crawford Prize for Excellence
Bluebell Medal
ACT School of Music
AUSIPEX 1984 (International Philatelic Exhibition)
Naval Institute Medal
World Cup Athletics Medal 1985
Walter Burley-Griffin Medal
Sir Ian McLennan CSIRO Medal
Australian Peace Award
Commander-in-Chief Medal
Mint E Wooley Medal
Senate Medal
Mint Long Service Medal
Parliament of Australia Medal
International Coin Fair
Parliamentary Brooch
Australian Geographic Foundation Member Medal
Sydney Harbour Bridge Token
ACT Self Government Medal
Christmas Pudding Token
International Olympic Committee
Gold of The Pharaohs
NZ Commemorative Medal
Admella Lifeboat Medal
$1 Replica Plaque/ Master Pieces in Silver
FINA World Swimming Championship/Perth 1991
I O C Centenary Medal/5 Countries
Mint Wildlife Medal
Mint Wildflower Medal
Sir Robert Menzies/Oration on Higher Education Medal
Keating Plaque
Civilian Service Medal
Bravery Insignia/Wattle
Royal Canberra Golf Club plaque and Jewellery items

Provided all master tooling for Australian coins since 1969 until 1988 including all date changes.



DETAILED SUMMARY OF WORK SINCE 1982

1982

Bluebell Medal; Designed and sculptured reverse (Bluebell flower)
Crawford Medal; Sculptured plaster obverse (portrait)
Crawford Medal; Sculptured plaster reverse
Australian University Medal; Sculptured plaster obverse (Coat of Arms)
Australian University Medal; Sculptured plaster reverse

1983

Australian $10 coin; Designed and sculptured NSW Coat of Arms plaster reverse

1984

School of Music Medal; Sculptured plaster
Ausipex Medal; Sculptured plaster obverse
Ausipex Medal; Designed and sculptured plaster reverse (Stamp and Wattle)
J. Joslin (Controller Plaque); Designed and sculptured (portrait)
Designed and hand cut Dies for Naval Institute Medal obverse
Designed and hand cut Dies for Naval Institute Medal reverse

1985

Australian $10 coin reverse; Designed and sculptured (Victoria Coat of Arms)World Cup Athletics Medal (Logo), Sculptured plaster reverse
World Cup Athletics Medal (Stadium), Designed and sculptured obverse
Jupiter Casino Token (Casino building), Designed and sculptured
Sir Ian McLennan Medal; Sculptured plaster
Australian $1 coin; Designed and sculptured reverse (International Year of Peace)
South Australia 150 years Jubilee $10 coin; Sculptured plaster obverse (Coat of Arms)
South Australia 150 Jubilee reverse logo; Sculptured plaster
Walter Burley-Griffin Medal; Designed and hand cut obverse and reverse

1986

Australian $10 coins; Designed and sculptured plaster (South Australia)
Fiji coinage; Designed layout of lettering and sculptured plaster 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢
Australian Peace Award Medal; Designed and sculptured plaster, reverse
Australian Peace Award Medal; Designed and sculptured plaster, obverse
Commander in Chief Medal; Designed and sculptured plaster, obverse
Commander in Chief Medal; Designed and sculptured plaster, reverse

Mint Medal - new design; Designed and sculptured plaster, obverse (Mint building)
Mint Medal - new design; Designed and sculptured plaster, reverse (coins and reducing machine)
Cook Islands Coinage; Sculptured lettering for new effigy (all denominations) 1¢, 2¢, 5¢, 10¢, 20¢, 50¢


1987

Cook Island $2 coin; Sculptured lettering around new effigy
Cook Island $2 coin reverse; Designed and sculptured plaster (grinding table)
Cook Island $5 coin reverse Designed and sculptured plaster (shell)
Western Samoa 50¢ reverse; Designed and sculptured plaster (Coat of Arms commemorating 25 years of Independence)
$200 Gold reverse; (Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth)
ANU Gift Medal; Sculptured plaster obverse
Monorail obverse; Designed and sculptured plaster (Train)
Monorail reverse; Designed and sculptured plaster (Kangaroo)
Monorail reverse; Designed and sculptured plaster (Kookaburra)

1988

Australian $2 reverse; Designed and sculptured plaster, (Aboriginal Head)
Australian $200 reverse; Designed and sculptured (Arthur Phillip lands in Sydney Cove)
Cook Islands 50 Tene reverse; Designed and sculptured (Turtle)
International Coin Fair reverse; Designed and sculptured, (7 animals)
Parliamentary Brooch; Designed and sculptured (new Parliament House in miniature, and mace and black rod)
Australian Geographic Medal obverse; Sculptured plaster (compass)
Australian $10 reverse; Designed (Queensland Coat of Arms) sculptured

1989

Gold of the Pharaoh Medal; Sculptured Obverse and Reverse
Australian $10 Bird Series (Kookaburra); Designed and sculptured
NZ $1 Treaty of Waitangi; Designed Reverse
NZ 5¢ Heron: Designed and sculptured Reverse
NZ Commemorative Medal; Sculptured Obverse
NZ Commemorative Medal; Sculptured Reverse
Australian $200 Reverse Gold (Frill Necked Lizard) Designed and sculptured
Edgar Woolley Award (Apprentice of Year); Designed Obverse and Reverse
Sydney Harbour Toll Token; Designed Obverse and Reverse
ACT Government School Medallion; Designed Obverse and sculptured

1990

NZ $5 ANZAC Soldier and Flag - 75th Anniversary; Designed
Aust $200 Platypus; Designed and sculptured,
Regency Xmas Pudding tokens obverse and reverse; Designed and sculptured
1990 Gatwick Meeting Medal; Designed and sculptured
Admella Life Boat; (produced master tooling) obverse and reverse
$1 Silver Plaque obverse and reverse; Designed and sculptured (Master Pieces in Silver and Banknote 1990)

State Series; Designed WA Coat of Arms.
Australian $10 Bird Series (Palm Cockatoo); Designed
World Council of Churches; Designed and sculptured reverse
Papua New Guinea obverse; Designed and sculptured Logo - Bird of Paradise
Tokyo Meeting reverse; Designed
World Swimming Championship (Perth WA); Designed obverse and reverse
Watchface; Designed and sculptured – as per Mint Long Service design
Jewellery 1/10 and 1/20 ounce Kangaroo; Designed and sculptured
State Series $10 (Tasmania); Designed
RAM Jewellery; Designed
New Ltd Cricket Token Common obverse (Cup); Designed and sculptured

1991

International Olympic Committee Centenary Program/Canada, Australia, France, Austria and Greece for 1996.

Gold $200 Reverse "Gymnast"; Sculptured
Silver $20 Reverse "Swimmers"; Sculptured
Silver $20 Reverse "Women on Dais"; Sculptured

Australian $200 Gold (Emu); Designed
Australian $10 Bird Series (Jabiru); Designed
Australian Master Pieces Plaque in Silver, Sculptured Coat of Arms
Neville Howse VC Medal; Designed
Sir Robert Menzies Medal; Designed
State Floral Emblem Medal; Designed
OK TEDI Silver and Gold Medallion; Designed
Australian $10 Bird Series (Penguins); Designed

T V (3) and Radio interviews (11) to commemorate 25th Anniversary of Decimal Coinage in Australia.

Attended and presented lecture on O S P/130 Optical Surface Profiler in the German language at the International Mint Technical Conference in Stuttgart/Germany.

Visited the United Kingdom Mint, Spanish Mint, Stuttgart Mint in Germany and the Italian Mint. Also to the School of Medallic Art in Rome to arrange six months study leave for our winner of the Churchill Fellowship.


1992

Australian $10 Bird Series (Palm Cockatoo); Designed and sculptured
Australian $10 State Series (A C T Coat of Arms); Sculptured, not lettering
Australian $200 Gold Coin "Pride of Australia" series (echidna/spiny ant-eater); Designed
Royal Australian Mint Public Press Token; Designed and sculptured (Long Service design and Mint Building)
Assisted with Mint Gallery display of "H HAHNE Portrait"
Project Manager on building RAMSTAN reduction machine and commissioning it
Supervised refurbishment of Engraving Section/Jan until May 1992
$200 Gold "Pride of Australia"  (Possum); Designed
Australian $ 5 Year of Space 1992; Sculptured

1993

Won "AUSTRALIAN DESIGN AWARD" in March 1993, for the design of the "BIRD SERIES" of Australian $10 collector proof and piedfort coins.  The first time ever that an Australian Coin received an Australian Design Award.
A C T Workshop Enterprise Medals; Designed lettering
Australian/Hercher $1 fine Silver Kangaroo; Designed and sculptured/old Penny design
Keating Plaque/Prime Minister; Designed and sculptured
Australian $10 Butterfly Series/Designs
International Rotary Convention/Melbourne; Designed lettering
Australian $ 10 Bird Series (Wedge Tail Eagle); Designed and sculptured
Australian $ 5 obverse (BI-METAL COIN); Designed and sculptured lettering only
Australian Parliament House Lapel Badge; Designed and sculptured
On the selection committee for Public Design Competition (Year of Family)
Attended I O C  Centenary Coin Program Launch in Sydney
Australian Fish Series  (4 off); Designed
Australian State Floral Series (3 off); Designed

1994

Australian $10 Olympic Gold Medallists (Edwin Flack 1896); Designed
Australian $10 Olympic Gold Medallists (Sarah Durack 1912); Designed
Australian $10 Olympic Living Legends (D Fraser-M Rose); Designed
Australian/Hercher $1 Fine Silver Eastern Grey Kangaroo; Designed
Civilian Service Medal 1939/1945 (Wattle/Southern Cross); Designed and sculptured
Civilian Service Medal reverse/date; Designed and sculptured
Australian $200 Gold "Pride of Australia" final design of the series (Tasmanian Devil); Designed and sculptured
Parliament House Lapel Badge; Designed and sculptured
Bird Series Lapel Badges; Designed (6)


1995

Australian Gold 1/4 & 1/2 oz Floral Series (Waratah); Designed and sculptured
Australian 50 cent 1995 (Weary Dunlop); Designed and sculptured
Australian $1 Silver Kangaroo 1oz/Head only; Designed and sculptured
Australian 20 cent (fifty years of UNITED NATIONS); Designed and sculptured

1996

Australian $10 Olympic Heritage (Shirley Strickland); Designed
Australian $10 Olympic Heritage (Betty Cuthbert); Designed
Australian $1 Silver Kangaroo 1oz (Mother and Joey); Designed and sculptured
Australian 1/4 & 1/2 oz gold Floral Series (Tasmanian Blue Gum); Designed and sculptured
Australian $1 - 30th Anniversary of Decimal Coins; Designed and sculptured

1997

Australian $1 Silver Kangaroo 1oz Drinking at water hole; Designed and sculptured
Australian 1/2 &1/2 oz gold Floral Series (Kangaroo Paw); Designed and sculptured
Australian $1 - 70th Anniversary of old Parliament House; Designed
Australian $10 Landmarks (Sydney Opera House); Designed
Australian $10 Landmark (Sydney Harbour Bridge); Designed

1998

Australian $1 Silver Kangaroo 1oz Flying Kangaroo/left; Designed and sculptured
Australian 1/4 &1/2 oz gold Floral Series (Sturt Pea); Designed and sculptured
Australian $1 - 10th Anniversary of new Parliament House; Designed
Australian $1 Howard Florey Centenary; Designed


HORST HAHNE PSM

Retired Director of Design & Engraving
at the Royal Australian Mint
Canberra ACT

1 July 1998

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E D U C A T I O N

1955   Intermediate Certificate

1955-58   Apprenticeship in Typographic Art & Hand Engraving, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

   Part time studies of Typographic Designs, Frankfurt/Main, Germany


1976-83   Part time studies in Figure & Portrait Drawing at the Canberra School of Art

   Part time studies in sculpture at the Canberra School of Art


E M P L O Y M E N T:

1955-1959    Ludwig & Mayer, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

1959-1965   Griffin Press, Subsidiary of the Advertiser Newspaper Ltd, Adelaide, S.A.

1965-1998    Royal Australian Mint, Canberra
   Denison Street, Deakin, Canberra ACT 2600

1979-1988   Director of Design & Engraving, Royal Australian Mint

June 1998   Retired:


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1955-59   Apprenticed at Ludwig & Mayer, West Germany, a printing establishment going back to 1770.  Learned the art of hand engraving of new typographic type styles for the printing and graphic industry.  This job required practical and artistic ability and intense concentration for very fine and accurate work.  Qualified in 1958 as a hand engraver and worked for Ludwig & Mayer until immigrating to Australia in 1959.

1960-65    Started working with Griffin Press in Adelaide as a hand engraver in die stamping and die sinking.  Engraved many hundreds of dies for letterheads, business cards, government Coat of Arms, first day covers for the Post Office and many other items in the printing trade.

1965-79    In 1965 the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra offered me a position as a hand engraver of coinage and medal dies.  This position I held until my promotion to leading hand in the engraving section in 1969, which included supervising tradesmen involved in hand engraving; hubbing and finishing of coinage, proof and medal dies; producing master tooling, date changes and reduction punches.

1979    Promoted to Chief Engraver, responsible to the Superintendent for the operation of the Engraving Section, including supervision of engravers and preparation of coinage and medal designs, plaster models and reduction punches.

1987    Promoted to Director of Design and Engraving C A Class 9 (ASO 7), responsible for the effective and efficient management of the Section.

1989   Promoted to Design & Engraving Director/Senior Officer Grade B.
   Direct master tooling manufacture for minting coins, medals and medallions.  Create or oversee creation of designs for coins/medallions, provide advice to Mint Management, oversee the quality of master tooling, consult with and provide advice to clients and artists.  Detailed knowledge of requirements for Mint engraving, proven ability to prepare design, sketches and plaster models, hand engrave dies and administrative ability of a high order.  Promote facilities of the Engraving Section, improve methods, provide artistic and technical advice, develop and expand design services, supporting sales and marketing objectives and maintain quality and efficiency.

1991   Acting Operations Manager / 3 - 13 December

1993   Acting Operations Manager / 1 - 11 February

1996   Acting Marketing Director / 5 – 20 August

1997   Acting Marketing Director / 3 – 31 January


SPECIAL PROJECTS and EXPERIENCES:

1988   TV interview  on 2 Dollar coin design

1989   Attended Mint Technical Conference in Hamburg, Germany

1991   Lectured on O S P-130 Optical Surface Profiler in the German language at the International Mint Technical Conference in Stuttgart/Germany

1991   Visited United Kingdom Mint, Spanish Mint, Stuttgart Mint/Germany and the Italian Mint.

1991   T V and Radio interviews commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Decimal Currency in Australia.

1991   Elected Associate Member of the
   American Numismatic Society /12-7-1991

1992   Public Lecture at the University of Canberra "YOU DESERVE A MEDAL"  on coin and medal designing.

1992   Project Manager for "RAMSTAN" Reduction Machine manufacture, no equivalent product available for purchase on the world market.

1993   Published an article "Self Portrait" in the January issue of "THE MEDAL" by the British Museum.

1993   Published an article "Self Portrait" in the January issue of "Munzen Revue"  (international coin trend journal) in the German language.

1993   Won the "AUSTRALIAN DESIGN AWARD" for the "Birds of Australia" Series Ten Dollar Silver Coin

1995   Attended XXVI Mint Technical Conference in Vienna, Austria and visited the Austrian and Norwegian Mint/September.

1996   Presented with the "PUBLIC SERVICE MEDAL"
   for outstanding service in the government public service.


TRAINING & DEVELOPEMENT:

1988   E E O Awareness Training, September

1989   Middle Management Development Program
   (by Eric Barbour, Blanchard Training & Developement, Inc.)
   Introduction to Type in Organizational Settings (MYER BRIGGS)
   Performance Management Simulation
   Leader Behaviour Analysis II

1989   Employee Assistance Program
   (Industrial Progam Service by Graham Jensen)

1989   Project Management A I M (Peter Beale)

1990   The Business of Management A I M (Module I)

1990   The Business of Management A I M (Module II)

1990   Multi-Dimensional Management (Dr Harvey Morris)

1990   Leadership and Minute Managers

1991   Conflict Mode Instrument (Thomas Kilman)

1991   Metallurgy Course A D F A  (3 Day Course ? June)

1991   E A P Supervisor Referral Course

1991   Kepner Tregoe - Problem Solving and Decision Making
   (4 Day Course, June 91)

1991   Priority Management Systems, B C Canada

1992   Conflict Resolution by Shoshana Faire's
   Public Service Commission, 2 Day Course, 8/9 Dec
   Middle Management Course for Senior Officers

1993   Surviving Criticism in the Workplace

1993   Staff Developement Seminar/T.Van Diemen & Assoc. Pty Ltd
   2 Day Course, April

1993   Herrman Brain Dominance Profile Seminar
   1 Day Course/October

1993   Benchmarking Seminar/Coopers & Lybrand Consultants
   Lakeside Hotel

1994   Intellectual Property Seminar/Hyatt

1994   Mint Team Management Course/Eagle Hawk
   Coopers & Lybrand - 2 Days, May

1995   Activity Based Management/Costing Course
   Coopers & Lybrand - 2 Days, Melbourne

   Mint Process Improvement Team Phase II+III
   Coopers & Lybrand - 2 Days, Batemans Bay

[<k>]

Australia, $200, 1994. 

Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii).

[eurocoin]

Hahne's designers initials can only be found on the 2 dollars coins of 1988 and 1989. After that they were removed. In the old days some owners used to brand their aboriginals and as Hahne unknowingly placed his initials on the aboriginal it was deemed offensive.

Interesting also that he visited the mint in Amsterdam. I am sure he must have meant Utrecht.

[<k>]

Image copyright of Charles Snowden coins.

In 1990 New Zealand issued a special set of collector coins.

The set  commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The reverse designs were the work of Horst Hahne.

See: New Zealand: 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi collector set.

[gmckay]

I have this medal with HH designer initials which I have been unable to identify on Google. 
I also contacted the RAM and they had no record of it.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Figleaf]

If the RAM has no record of it, that may not mean more than that it wasn't involved, it was a private order with another mint. The initials speak for themselves, though.

Peter

[<k>]

The side of the medal showing the building looks very similar to the design on this Australian $1 collector coin of 1998, which was designed by Horst Hahne.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces143858.html

The medal may have been a spin-off of that project, but I do not know. I wish you luck in finding it.


I no longer have Mr. Hahne's email address and do not know whether he is still alive.

I suggest contacting The Numismatic Association of Australia and asking for the help of T Vincent Verheyen:

https://numismatics.org.au/naa-authors/t-vincent-verheyen/

I had contact with him some years ago, and he is a very helpful numismatist.

[gmckay]

If the RAM has no record of it, that may not mean more than that it wasn't involved, it was a private order with another mint. The initials speak for themselves, though.

Peter

Thanks, I was remiss in not advising that the medal came in a RAM issued case;


and I didn't state that the medal is 50mm diameter which is not relevant but may be of interest...

George