Z Special Unit Coin #1 - Sleeping Beauty 

Release Date: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Status: Sold Out
Material: Pewter handcrafted in Western Australia
Size: 42mm deep-etched challenge coin
Edition: Strictly limited to 100 coins – never to be remade

Design Features

• Front: The official Z Special Unit insignia, symbol of courage, stealth, and elite reconnaissance.

• Back: The iconic Sleeping Beauty motorised canoe, used in covert WWII missions to attach limpet mines to Japanese vessels.

A Collectible That Vanished in Hours

The Z Special Unit Sleeping Beauty Coin marked the beginning of our five-coin commemorative series. As a tribute to one of Australia’s most daring WWII units, it sold out in record time — every one of the 100 coins claimed by collectors within hours of release.

The Sleeping Beauty – Engineering Stealth in War

Z Special Unit’s “Sleeping Beauty” was a motorised semi-submersible canoe designed for stealth attacks. Operatives used it to penetrate enemy-held harbours and place limpet mines beneath ships. Though dangerous to operate, the Sleeping Beauty gave Allied special forces a chance to strike directly at Japanese shipping lanes and harbours.

Z Special Unit – Courage Behind Enemy Lines

From Operation Jaywick’s daring raid on Singapore Harbour in 1943 to the later Operation Rimau in 1944, Z Special Unit became legendary for missions that required absolute stealth and courage. Members were inserted into enemy territory by submarine or parachute, often with slim odds of survival. Their intelligence, sabotage, and guerrilla tactics shaped the foundation of Australia’s modern special forces, including the SASR.

Why This Coin Matters

This first release in the Z Special Unit coin series captured not just history, but legacy. Every purchase contributed to the SAS Historical Foundation, helping preserve the stories, artefacts, and sacrifices of Australia’s elite soldiers.

The Sleeping Beauty Coin now takes its place among our Sold Out Collectibles — a testament to its rarity and the enduring respect for the Z Special Unit.

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