| Coin | One Dollar 2020 Qantas - Avro 504 |
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The one dollar coin circulating denomination (written as $1) was introduced in Australia in 1984, replacing the earlier banknotes. The original reverse design by Stuart Devlin featuring five kangaroos - known in Australia as the "Mob of Roos" design - has not been changed since its introduction.
The denomination is also used by both the Royal Australian Mint and the Perth Mint to issue an extensive range of collector coins, which are legal tender in Australia - such as this one.
This coin is part of an eleven-piece commemorative set celebrating the Centenary (100th anniversary) of Qantas.
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia, and is the third-oldest airline in the world after KLM and Avianca. The company was founded in November 1920; it began international passenger flights in May 1935. The Qantas name comes from "QANTAS", an acronym for its original name, Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, as it originally served Queensland and the Northern Territory only. It is nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo".
The first coin in the set is made of pure copper; this is one of the ten which are made of Aluminium Bronze (same specifications as the circulating $1); all of them have coloured reverses and are in Brilliant Uncirculated grade. Each coin in the set is packaged in its own card with an explanatory text.
This coin features an Avro 504 plane - the first Qantas aircraft. It was built in Sydney and was mostly used for joy rides and for charter work, not on scheduled flights. The plane seats two passengers, has maximum take-off weight of 816 kg, cruise speed of 104 km/h and a range of 400 km.
These coins were made for collectors only. None of them were released into circulation. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait" worldwide but "Sixth Portrait" in Australia, where the Queen's portrait by Vladimir Gottwald was fifth).
The Queen also wears the Coronation Necklace; originally made for Queen Victoria in 1858, it was also worn at the coronations (as Queen's Consort) of Queen Alexandra in 1902, Queen Mary in 1911 and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen mother) in 1937.
Unlike on British coinage, the effigy is "uncouped" (includes the Queen's shoulders). In small letters on the left, the artist's initials JC (for Jody Clark).
Running continuously around the rim is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the face value: ELIZABETH II · AUSTRALIA 2020 · 1 DOLLAR ·.
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| Reverse | |
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The centre of the reverse design features an Avro 504 plane in flight; its side is inscribed AVRO and the tail, on five lines, THE QUEENSLAND & N.T. AERIAL SERVICE COY LTD WINTON. The central circle is partly enclosed in a circular frame with a black border, consisting of three concentric lines in orange, green and white. Around below left in the central circle, the anniversary dates 1920 - 2020.
Below right, interrupting the coloured lines and enclosed in another circle, is the logo used by Qantas in the 1930s: a map of Australia with abbreviated state/territory names marked, two wings, within a rim inscribed Q · A · N · T · A · S around above and LIMITED. below.
Around the outer rim, four stylised airplane shapes, behind two of which there are stylised representation of an aircraft’s wake turbulence, as well as arrow shapes and two circles.
Around above the outer rim, the inscription AVRO 504. Around below, QANTAS.
The designer’s initials SMS (for Stevan Michael Stojanovic) are around below right, near the rim. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
AVRO 504 QANTAS 1920 - 2020 |
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| Edge | Milled interrupted, in seven sections | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Included in Set |
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Qantas Centenary Coin Set - 2020 $1 Coloured Uncirculated Coin Set, mintage unknown, limited to 40,000
11 coins: $1 The Flying Kangaroo, $1 Fysh and MgGinnes, $1Avro 504, $1 Empire Flying Boat, $1 Double Sunrise Service, $1 Kangaroo Route, $1 Boeing 707, $1 Boeing 747, $1 Australian Airlines Merger, $1 Airbus A380, $1 Boeing 787
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