Sydney 2000 Athletics Coin Page

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces9840.html
Why are these the only options? Why are BU the only options? What is a "CoinCard" and a "PNC" anyways? I'm sure that my coin isn't in either. I think that something needs to be changed, or at least clarified.

There are photos on that page showing the coin in a "Coin Card" and also in a "PNC" (Philatelic Numismatic Cover).

The Australia catalog is more a packaging catalog then coin one I'm afraid. But I read multiple times that's how the Aussis like it.
Woe to the coin collector who has acquired a coin outside it's packaging.

Citation: "Idolenz"​The Australia catalog is more a packaging catalog then coin one I'm afraid. But I read multiple times that's how the Aussis like it.
​Woe to the coin collector who has acquired a coin outside it's packaging.

​Yes, Sir, my opinion as well, but you can't go against it. The packaging is key to a coin collection

Citation: "LukeS17"​https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces9840.html
​Why are these the only options? Why are BU the only options? What is a "CoinCard" and a "PNC" anyways? I'm sure that my coin isn't in either. I think that something needs to be changed, or at least clarified.

​Well this is pretty easy to answer.

BU is the only option because that is how they were issued. In "Brilliant Uncirculated" finish.
They were all minted by the Royal Australian Mint or the Perth Mint, no way to tell which one.

A Coin Card is a usually a piece of card that the coin is issued in. In this case a credit card sized one.
203,000 of this particular coin were issued in the credit card sized coincard. (100mm x 60mm)
(Probably a little larger than a real credit card)

A PNC is a "Postal Numismatic Cover". They are an envelope sized card usually about 190mm x 110mm and are then placed inside a similar sized envelope and a protective plastic cover.
A PNC contains a coin and has a commemorative stamp and postmark. (Sometimes more than one coin and more than one stamp.)
These are put together by Australia Post who issued 27,209 PNC's containing this particular coin.

Nothing needs to be changed. If you have a bare coin it came out of either the Coincard or the PNC as that is the only way they were issued.
I would suggest most likely the coin card.

By the way these Australian $5 coins were not meant for circulation and are what we call NCLT (Non Circulating Legal Tender).
Technically you could rock up to a shop and spend one but you might get some funny looks from the shopkeeper, they might even refuse to take them. But if you took it to an Australian bank they would accept it at face value. They would return it to the Reserve Bank and probably find their way back to the RAM to be melted down to make new Australian $2 and $1 coins.

I suggest that someone has taken the one you have out of the Coincard or PNC and done just that. If you had it still in the Coincard or PNC it would be an Uncirculated BU Coin, If it is not in either it is no longer Uncirculated.

We like to show how they were issued in the catalogue because they will have a different value on the Australian coin market. A lot of Australian collectors only collect PNC's, some collect both and some just the coin. The entry on the Numista page explains quite a bit about the coin.

A very interesting thing about this particular coin you have is that it is dated 2000 but it has the 3rd Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ralph Makleouf, even though that portrait was last used on an Australian circulating coin in 1998. In 1999 Australian circulating coins switched to the 4th Portrait by Ian Rank Broadly. This anomaly occurred because the coin was actually minted in 1997 but had the year 2000 date on it.

Cheers Mike