2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 Coin
The 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 is a circulating $1 coin with 4.54 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2019
- Circulation mintage
- 4,537,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Composition
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 worth?
4.54 million were made, so the 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 is easy to find. A circulated one is worth face value; collectors pay a little more only for uncirculated coins.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition
- An original mint roll, card or set
- A genuine mint error
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 rare?
- No. 4.54 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 coins were made?
- 4,537,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 made of?
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel). It weighs 9 g and measures 25 mm.
- Is the 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every $1 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 was made
The $1 coin turned 35 in 2019, having replaced the $1 note in May 1984. Instead of a new reverse design, the Royal Australian Mint marked the anniversary with a nationwide treasure hunt called Australia's Dollar Discovery. It put specially marked dollars into circulation and invited people to check their change. Finding the marked coins was the game. The letters are the only thing that separates these coins from an ordinary 2019 dollar, so they were easy to miss. The hunt gave people a reason to look closely at every dollar that came their way.
The marked coins came in three versions, each carrying one of the letters A, U or S. Together they spell AUS. The mintages were 1,513,000 for the A, 1,512,000 for the U and 1,512,000 for the S, a combined 4,537,000. The hunt was a clever way to get people interested in coins again. It worked: many Australians started looking at their dollars closely for the first time. Families often tried to collect all three letters. Because the marks are small, plenty of these coins still pass through change unnoticed, so the hunt is still on for anyone willing to look.
How to recognize it
The reverse keeps Stuart Devlin's mob of kangaroos, the regular $1 design. What sets these coins apart is a small privy mark on the reverse: one of the letters A, U or S. You'll need good light and possibly a magnifier to see them. A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the date 2019 appear on the obverse. The coins use the standard specifications: 25 mm across, 9 g of aluminum bronze with an interrupted milled edge. A 2019 dollar without one of the three letters is not part of the Dollar Discovery series.
2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 by the numbers
In mintage terms the 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1 ranks 8th lowest of 27 circulating $1 coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2003 Australia's Volunteers $1 (4.1 million); the next more common is the 2001 International Year of Volunteers $1 (6 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 Year of the Outback $1 with 35.4 million, about 7.8 times as many. The scarcest is the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $1 with 560,000, 8.1 times fewer than this one.
It was the only circulating commemorative $1 coin dated 2019.
What to check on your 2019 Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) $1
- Confirm the design and date: Dollar Discovery (A, U, S) dated 2019.
- Check the shape and size: the $1 is round, 25 mm across, gold-colored and weighs 9 g.
- Look at the surfaces under a light. Coins from mint rolls or sets have unbroken luster; change-worn coins show scuffs on the high points.
- Never clean it. Polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
Each letter had a mintage of about 1.5 million, so all three are scarcer than most commemorative dollars. Coins from circulation can bring a small premium and a matched set of A, U and S is a popular target. Unworn coins are the ones collectors chase. Because the marks are small, check that they're clear and not worn away. Coins fresh from a bank roll are the best way to get a complete, unworn set. Store the three letters together so the set stays complete. Keep them in a holder where the reverse can be seen, since the privy marks are on that side.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2019 |
| Circulation mintage | 4,537,000 |
| Composition | Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 9 g |
| Diameter | 25 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Interrupted milling |
Frequently asked questions
What are the letters A, U and S on 2019 $1 coins?
They are privy marks from the 2019 Dollar Discovery hunt marking 35 years of the $1 coin. Each marked coin carries one of the three letters, which together spell AUS.
How many Dollar Discovery coins were made?
The circulation mintages were 1,513,000 for the A, 1,512,000 for the U and 1,512,000 for the S, a total of 4,537,000. All three letters are worth keeping. Together they make an easy set to collect from change with patience.
Mintage figures: Australian one-dollar coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.