designs & products
one dollar
The $1 coin was first introduced on 14 May 1984. Planning for a $1 coin commenced as early as the mid-1970s. It was recognised that Australia needed a higher value coin which could be practically used in coin operated machines and to replace the $1 note which had a short service life through high use.
Mr Stuart Devlin was commissioned to design the reverse of the new coin. The five kangaroos design was chosen from submissions received from the designer.
Nominal specifications
| composition | 92% copper 6% aluminium 2% nickel |
| shape | circular |
| edge | interrupted milled |
| mass (grams) | 9.00 |
| diameter (millimetres) | 25.00 |
Mintage figures
| Reverse Design | Year and design details | Production details All $1 coins have been struck at the Royal Australian Mint |
 |
1984-85 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
1984: 186.3 million, RAM |
 |
1986 Commemorating the International Year of Peace. Sculpted by Horst Hahne. |
25.2 million, RAM |
| No $1 coins were produced in 1987. |
||
 |
1988 Commemorating the Australian Bicentenary. Designed by Stuart Devlin. |
21.6 million, RAM |
No $1 coins were produced in 1989, 1990 or 1991. |
||
|
1992 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
0.008 million, RAM |
 |
1993 The environmental theme of this $1 coin design reflects the relationship between the environment and water quality by depicting a tree sculpted in the flowing form of water. The design incorporates the logo of Landcare Australia to raise awareness of their work. Designed and sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald |
18.2 million, RAM |
|
1994-95 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
1994: 47.6 million, RAM |
 |
1996 Commemorating the centenary of the Constitutional Conventions that led to Federation and the role of Sir Henry Parkes, widely acknowledged as the "Father of Federation". Designed and sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
1996: 26.2 million, RAM |
 |
1997 Commemorating the centenary of the birth of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, aviation pioneer. Designed and sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
24.4 million, RAM |
|
1998 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
16.2 million, RAM |
 |
1999 Commemorating the International Year of Older Persons and incorporating the United Nations logo for that year. Sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
29.3 million, RAM |
|
2000 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
7.6 million, RAM |
 |
2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation and incorporating the Centenary of Federation logo. Sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
27.9 million, RAM |
 |
2001 Commemorating the International Year of Volunteers and incorporating the United Nations logo for that year. Sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
6 million, RAM |
 |
2002 Commemorating the Year of the Outback. The logo depicts a stylised outline of Australia and incorporates the Southern Cross. Reaching towards the Southern Cross are trails representing the stories or marks left first by Indigenous Australians, then by white settlers, explorers and pioneers. Designed by Elizabeth Robinson and sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
35.4 million, RAM |
 |
2003 Commemorating Australia's Volunteers. Designed and sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
4.1 million, RAM |
 |
2003 Commemorating the Centenary of Women's Suffrage. Sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald. |
10 million, RAM |
|
2004-05 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
2004: 8.8 million, RAM |
 |
2005 Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War 2. The design was inspired by a newsreel image. Sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
34.2 million, RAM |
|
2006 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
38.9 million, RAM |
 |
2007 Commemorating Australia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). The APEC Australia logo is a star formed by 21 elements to represent the number of countries participating in the forum. Sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
20.1 million, RAM |
 |
2008 Commemorating the centenary of scouting in Australia. Sculpted by Caitlin Goodall. |
17.2 million, RAM |
|
2008 Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
2008: not available |
 |
2009 100th year of the age pension. Designed and sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
2009: not available |
|
2009-present Five kangaroos designed and sculpted by Stuart Devlin. |
2009: not available |
Notes for using these tables: These are final mintages where the numbers have been published in an Annual Report and all coins have been issued. Items marked not available will be updated when they pass the Annual Report and issue test.