1997 $2.00

Peter, most definately a cast. What is scary is that the mass weighs exactly the same on a 0.1g scale although it might be 1 mm longer in diameter. What gave this coin away was it's bad surface and weak milling - looks like it was hand milled and some casting lines on the edge. Really bizarre.

I just thought of a reason they're thick!

It would have been too much like the $1 if it was bigger and thinner, and if they made it bigger than the $1 it would be stupidly too big. So they made this!

I don't... too original

yeh, so I could buy 10 1930 pennys!

Thanks GX, another very interesting counterfeit piece to keep an eye out for. I know the 2003 one was supposedly circulated in Qld originally, not sure of the 1996, perhaps nancy can shed some light there, though presume found in Qld.
Where was this 1997 $2.00 discovered GX?
The differences seem quite wide and varied between all 3. The 03 seems to be the crudest attempt to date, and speculators claim was also cast. There is an article in the CAB magazine volume 10 number 9 October 2007 which outlines the many differences on the 03 type.
Many thanks for posting that image GX.

If I had 2 mill to spend, I would start by finishing my penny collection. The 1930 would be 1, but not top of the list. Top would be the 1920 dot above bottom scroll London die obverse, followed by a the 1930 with the London obverse die, then as many 1931 Indian die obverse drop 1's as I could get my hands on.
Would also like a 1925 Indian die penny, but not 100% sure they even exist.
An Adelaide pound, and a 1855 syd half sov would also be welcome additions

The simple reason our two dollar coin is thick is so blind people can differentiate it from the 5c piece. Same reason our $1 coin has the broken reeded edge, to distinguish from the 10c. This decision was made in lieu of different sized coins for convenience sake. With the then current coin sizes of the circulating coins, there really wasn't an acceptable size for the $1 and $2 without making them outrageously big. Hence broken reeding and thick $2.