Australian one-dollar coin facts for kids
| Australia | |
| Value | 1.00 AUD |
|---|---|
| Mass | 9.00 g |
| Diameter | 25.00 mm |
| Thickness | 2.80 mm |
| Edge | interrupted milled 0.25 mm 77 notches |
| Composition | 92% Copper, 6% Aluminium, 2% Nickel |
| Years of minting | 1984–present |
| Catalog number | — |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia |
| Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design date | 1999 |
| Reverse | |
 |
|
| Design | Five kangaroos |
| Designer | Stuart Devlin |
| Design date | 1983 |
The Australian one-dollar coin is a special coin used in Australia. It's the second most valuable coin you'll find in your pocket, right after the two-dollar coin. There are also some very rare coins with even higher values, but you won't usually see them in shops.
This dollar coin was first made on 14 May 1984. It was created to take the place of the one-dollar paper note that people used before. The idea for a dollar coin had been around since the 1970s. In its first year, the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra made over 186 million of these coins!
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Design of the Australian Dollar Coin
The Australian one-dollar coin has two main sides: the front (called the obverse) and the back (called the reverse).
The Front (Obverse)
The front of the coin always shows a picture of Queen Elizabeth II, who was the Queen of Australia. Over the years, her portrait has changed a few times.
- From 1984, the coin showed a portrait by Arnold Machin.
- Between 1985 and 1998, a different portrait by Raphael Maklouf was used.
- From 1999 to 2009, the coin featured a design by Ian Rank-Broadley.
- Since 2019, you might see a portrait by artist Jody Clark.
Around the Queen's picture, the coin says "AUSTRALIA" on the right side and "ELIZABETH II" on the left side.
The Back (Reverse)
The back of the coin shows five kangaroos. This famous design was created by Stuart Devlin. He also designed Australia's first decimal coins back in 1966.
Special Commemorative Coins
The Royal Australian Mint often makes special one-dollar coins to celebrate important events or people. These are called commemorative coins. Some of these special coins are released for everyone to use, while others are made just for collectors.
Here are some of the special one-dollar coins that have been made:
| Year | Subject | Mintage |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | International Year of Peace | 25,200,000 |
| 1988 | Commemoration the Australian Bicentennial | 21,600,000 |
| 1993 | Landcare Australia | 18,200,000 |
| 1996 | Sir Henry Parkes | 26,200,000 |
| 1997 | Birth of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith | 24,400,000 |
| 1999 | International Year of Older Persons | 29,300,000 |
| 2001 | Centenary of Federation | 27,900,000 |
| International Year of Volunteers | 6,000,000 | |
| 2002 | Year of the Outback | 35,400,000 |
| 2003 | Australia's Volunteers | 4,100,000 |
| Centenary of Women's Suffrage | 10,000,000 | |
| 2005 | 60th Anniversary of the End of World War II | 34,200,000 |
| 2007 | Australia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum | 20,100,000 |
| 2008 | Centenary of Scouting in Australia | 17,200,000 |
| 2009 | 100th Year of the Age Pension | 21,300,000 |
| 2010 | Centenary of Girl Guiding in Australia | 12,600,000 |
| 2011 | Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting | 9,400,000 |
| 2014 - 2018 |
Centenary of ANZAC 2014-2018 | 21,900,000 (2014) 1,400,000 (2015) 2,190,000 (2016) 1,900,000 (2017) 2,000,000 (2018) |
| 2016 | 50th Anniversary of Decimal Currency | 560,000 |
| 2019 | Australia’s Dollar Discovery - 35 years of the Australian $1 coin. | 1,513,000 (Letter A)
1,512,000 (Letter U) 1,512,000 (Letter S) |
| 2020 | Celebrating a 100 years of Qantas | 2,000,000 |
| 2020 - 2021 | Donation Dollar - the world's first one dollar coin designed to be donated | 12,500,000 (2020)
5,000,000 (2021) |
| References: | ||
See Also
