2020 Qantas Centenary $1 Coin
The 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 is a circulating $1 coin with 604,000 made. Value band: collector premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2020
- Circulation mintage
- 604,000
- Value band
- Collector premium
- 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 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 worth?
With 604,000 struck, the 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 ranks 2nd lowest of the 27 circulating $1 coins we track. Collectors pay a collector premium even for worn examples. Sharp, uncirculated coins with no marks bring considerably more.
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 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 rare?
- Yes, by the standards of $1 coins. With 604,000 struck, the 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 ranks 2nd lowest of the 27 circulating $1 coins we track.
- How many 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 coins were made?
- 604,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 made of?
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel). It weighs 9 g and measures 25 mm.
- Is the 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every $1 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 was made
Qantas was founded in November 1920 in Winton, in outback Queensland, as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. Its founders, Hudson Fysh, Paul McGinness and Fergus McMaster, saw that flying could connect remote communities across vast distances. From a small operation with a couple of aircraft, the airline grew into Australia's national carrier and one of the best known names in aviation. The company moved its base to Longreach in its early years before later growing from Brisbane and Sydney into an international airline.
For its centenary, the Royal Australian Mint released a commemorative $1 into circulation in February 2020, with swap events in several capital cities. The Royal Australian Mint's production tables show 604,000 struck for circulation (154,000 in its 2019 to 2020 year and 450,000 in 2020 to 2021), well short of the five million first announced. The Mint also produced an 11-coin collector set of $1 coins telling the airline's history, but those were separate collector pieces. The circulating coin arrived just before the pandemic grounded much of the world's air travel, which gives it an unexpected place in history. For people interested in aviation, it pairs naturally with the 1997 Kingsford Smith dollar, which honored one of the pioneers of long-distance flight. It is also one of the few circulating Australian coins to honor a single organization's centenary, alongside the Scouting and Girl Guiding dollars.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows a stylized modern jet airliner flying through the number 100. Parallel lines trail behind the aircraft, suggesting speed and the airline's progress over a century. The obverse carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with 2020 in the legend, the portrait introduced on Australian coins in 2019. Physically it is a standard dollar, 25 mm across and 9 g, struck in aluminum bronze with bands of milling on the edge. The aircraft and the large 100 make it easy to identify. Don't confuse it with the collector coins from the 11-coin set, which show different aircraft and were not issued into change.
2020 Qantas Centenary $1 by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 ranks 2nd lowest of 27 circulating $1 coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $1 (560,000); the next more common is the 2015 Centenary of ANZAC $1 (1.4 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 Year of the Outback $1 with 35.4 million, about 59 times as many. The scarcest is the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $1 with 560,000.
2020 brought 1 other circulating $1 coin design: the Donation Dollar (12.5 million). The 2020 Qantas Centenary $1 was the scarcest of the year.
What to check on your 2020 Qantas Centenary $1
- Confirm the design and date: Qantas Centenary dated 2020.
- 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.
At 604,000, this is one of the scarcer modern commemorative dollars. Coins from circulation can bring a small premium, while uncirculated coins attract more interest. The trailing lines are fine detail that wears quickly, so check them closely. Coins from the Mint's own rolls are the best preserved. If you find one in change, it's worth keeping, especially with its link to the year much of world aviation was grounded. Look for even golden color and crisp edges on the number 100. Avoid coins that have been cleaned or polished, which leaves a harsh shine and fine scratches. A plastic flip or capsule is the simplest way to keep a good example safe.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2020 |
| Circulation mintage | 604,000 |
| Composition | Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 9 g |
| Diameter | 25 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Interrupted milling |
Other 2020 $1 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Donation Dollar $1 Coin | 12,500,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Qantas $1 coin rare?
It is scarcer than most commemorative dollars, with 604,000 struck for circulation. It isn't a great rarity, but circulated examples can bring a small premium and uncirculated coins attract more interest. Check that the trailing lines are sharp.
What is on the Qantas centenary dollar?
A stylized jet airliner flying through the number 100, with lines trailing behind it. It marks 100 years since the airline was founded in Winton, Queensland, in November 1920. The coin was released into circulation in February 2020.
Mintage figures: Australian one-dollar coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.