2018 50c CuNi Uncirculated Coin The Western Front - Villers-Bretonneux

This coin pays tribute to those who served in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, in which an unconventional surprise night attack carried out by Australian troops liberated the strategic town of Villers-Bretonneux from the Germans. This allowed the Allies to launch a counter-offensive, leading to further victories and ultimately the end of fighting on the Western Front.

HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE
By 1918, a trench warfare stalemate had dragged on at the Western Front for three years. In March, German troops launched their ‘Spring Offensive’, aimed at the French town of Amiens with its vital communication lines.

Australian troops were rushed in to assist the Allies against the attack. The town of Villers-Bretonneux became an important target for the German offensive. Supported by tanks, German troops managed to capture the strategic Hill 104.

From this position the Germans could continue their push towards Amiens, making it vital for the Allies to attempt the immediate recapture of Villers-Bretonneux.
On 24-25 April, troops of the Australian 13th and 15th Brigades made an unconventional night assault on Villers-Bretonneux, surrounding German troops and driving them out of the town. From this position, the Allies launched a successful counter-offensive which led to the end of the fighting on the Western Front.

FEATURES AND DESIGN
• The fifth release of the six-coin Western Front series
• Part of the Royal Australian Mint’s popular Anzac Centenary program
• Packaged in a display card with historical information about the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
• Coin’s reverse features an artistic representation of Australian soldiers at a machine gun post on Hill 104
• Finished to the Royal Australian Mint’s quality uncirculated standard
• Obverse features Queen Elizabeth II effigy sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley
• Australian legal tender