Man Charged Over $400,000 Theft of Bluey Collectible Coins

Australian police have charged a man with the theft of more than A$600,000 ($393,500; £309,000) worth of limited-edition coins based on the popular children’s television show Bluey. These collectible coins, released by the Royal Australian Mint in June, quickly became a sensation, leading to high demand among fans and collectors.

The incident came to light when police received a report last month about the theft of 63,000 unreleased $1 Bluey coins from a warehouse in Western Sydney. The suspect, a 47-year-old man named Steven John Neilson, allegedly worked at the warehouse where the theft occurred.

On Wednesday, Neilson was arrested following a raid on his home and charged with three counts of breaking and entering. He was denied bail during his appearance in Parramatta Court on Wednesday. According to police, the coins were stolen from the back of a truck at the warehouse and sold online just hours after the theft. At the time, the coins were due to be transported to the mint.

Police have recovered approximately 1,000 of the stolen coins but believe the remainder are now in general circulation. The Bluey coin collection, branded as Dollarbucks—reflecting how money is referred to in the show—comprised three $1 colored coins. Only 30,000 of each coin and 30,000 complete sets were minted, meaning about a third of all produced coins were allegedly stolen.

The New South Wales Police launched an investigation codenamed Strike Force Bandit, named after Bandit, Bluey’s father in the cartoon. The release of these coins generated “Blueymania,” with the mint redirecting all its phone lines to the sales center due to overwhelming demand on launch day. The three-coin sets were sold for A$55, and individual coins were priced at A$20. Due to the theft and high demand, some of the coins have been selling for ten times their original price.