Counting Money & Making Amounts

Australian money has silver coins (5c, 10c, 20c, 50c), gold coins ($1, $2) and notes ($5, $10, $20, $50, $100). The key fact: 100 cents make one dollar. And watch out for the sneaky sizes — the little gold $2 coin is worth MORE than the bigger $1 coin. Value isn't about size!

To count a handful of money, sort it biggest-first, then keep a running total as you touch each coin: two dollars… three dollars… three fifty… three seventy… three seventy-five. Starting big means the tricky little additions come when the numbers are easiest. Total: $3.75.

Money writing has one strict rule: cents always get TWO digits after the dot. Five cents is written $0.05, so $4.05 means four dollars and five cents — very different from $4.50! And to change cents into dollars, split off the last two digits: 345 cents = $3.45.

The same amount can be built from different coins. One dollar is two 50c coins, or five 20c coins, or 50c + 20c + 20c + 10c. To check any combination, add the cents — they must total 100. This skill is gold at the shops: sometimes you need EXACT money and have to build it from whatever is in your pocket.

Money puzzles are great brain training. 'Three coins making 80c?' Start with the biggest coin that fits — 50c — leaving 30c for two coins: 20c + 10c. Done! For 'fewest coins', the same trick works: always grab the biggest coin that doesn't overshoot. $3.70 = $2 + $1 + 50c + 20c — just four coins.