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 celebrates the Kangaroo Route - the regular scheduled flights between Australia and the United Kingdom via the Eastern Hemisphere. The route found its name following the unique mode of travel of the kangaroo, as the long distance was achieved in hops. Qantas first flew the Kangaroo Route on 1 December 1947. A Lockheed Constellation carried 29 passengers and 11 crew from Sydney to London with stops in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, and Tripoli (passengers stayed overnight in Singapore and Cairo). A return fare was £585, equivalent to 130 weeks average pay.
The design of the coin features a Lockheed Super Constellation aircraft. Six of these machines pioneered the Kangaroo Route, and later the Wallaby Route to Johannesburg (in 1952). The plane seats 82 passengers, has maximum take-off weight of 65,770 kg, cruise speed of 489 km/h and a range of 5,600 km.
These coins were made for collectors only. None of them were released into circulation. | 
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