A legal battle is brewing between the coin makers of Australia and Canada after the Canadian Royal Mint took its Australian counterpart to court over a series of special-edition coins celebrating a children’s book.

The Royal Canadian Mint says the commemorative series, which celebrates the kid’s book Possum Magic, infringes its rights over a unique process painting colour onto metal.

The Possum Magic series was launched in August 2017 featuring three $2 coin designs with the colourful artworks designed with “magic dust” rings.

Royal Australian Mint

But the Canadian mint is demanding its Australian counterpart destroy the coins or turn them over, surrender its profits or pay damages, Canadian paper National Post reports.

Its original claim included 15 million other $2 coins commemorating Remembrance Day and Anzac Day, but the Canadians expanded the claim recently to include the Possum Magic series too.

However, the Australian government – which owns the Mint – has filed a countersuit hoping to overrule the patent because it did not involve enough “novelty” over previous methods.

The Royal Australian Mint told SBS News: "The Royal Australian Mint is vigorously defending its position and has subsequently filed a counterclaim in the Federal Court."