2020 Donation Dollar $1 Coin
The 2020 Donation Dollar $1 is a circulating $1 coin with 12.5 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2020
- Circulation mintage
- 12,500,000
- 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 2020 Donation Dollar $1 worth?
12.5 million were made, so the 2020 Donation Dollar $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 2020 Donation Dollar $1 rare?
- No. 12.5 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2020 Donation Dollar $1 coins were made?
- 12,500,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2020 Donation Dollar $1 made of?
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel). It weighs 9 g and measures 25 mm.
- Is the 2020 Donation Dollar $1 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every $1 coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2020 Donation Dollar $1 was made
The Donation Dollar was promoted by the Royal Australian Mint as the world's first one dollar coin designed to be given away. The idea was simple: whenever you found one in your change, you'd pass it on to a charity, a community cause or someone in need. It was released in September 2020, in the lead-up to the International Day of Charity on 5 September, during a year when the pandemic had left many people needing help.
The Mint planned to release Donation Dollars over several years with the aim of eventually putting one in the hands of every Australian. The first run of three million coins went into circulation at launch. The 2020 circulation mintage reached 12,500,000. Because the coin was designed to be donated rather than kept, it has an unusual place in collecting. Some people deliberately give theirs away while others hold onto one as a reminder of the idea. Either choice is in the spirit of the coin, which was meant to encourage small, frequent acts of giving. The coin can be donated anywhere that accepts cash.
How to recognize it
The Donation Dollar is a colored circulating $1. Its center is green, with a gold ripple design spreading outward to represent the ongoing impact of each donation. The obverse carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with 2020 in the legend. The specifications match the regular $1 exactly: 25 mm in diameter, 9 g in weight, aluminum bronze and an interrupted milled edge. The green color and ripple pattern make it impossible to mistake for any other dollar. A 2021 version was also issued with the same design, so check the date to see which one you have. There's no other green circulating dollar in the Australian series apart from the two Donation Dollar dates.
2020 Donation Dollar $1 by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2020 Donation Dollar $1 ranks 12th lowest of 27 circulating $1 coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2003 Women's Suffrage $1 (10 million); the next more common is the 2010 Centenary of Girl Guiding $1 (12.6 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2002 Year of the Outback $1 with 35.4 million, about 2.8 times as many. The scarcest is the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $1 with 560,000, 22 times fewer than this one.
2020 brought 1 other circulating $1 coin design: the Qantas Centenary (604,000). The 2020 Donation Dollar $1 was the most plentiful of the year.
What to check on your 2020 Donation Dollar $1
- Confirm the design and date: Donation Dollar 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 12.5 million, the 2020 Donation Dollar is common. Coins with wear are face value. The coin's purpose, after all, is to be given away. For collectors, the color is what matters: the green wears off with use, so a coin with intact, bright color is far more attractive. Don't rub or clean it, as that removes the color. If you keep one, store it in a holder away from other coins. Coins with chipped or faded green centers are common in change and are best donated as intended. Collectors who want a perfect example usually look for one that has barely been handled.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2020 |
| Circulation mintage | 12,500,000 |
| 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 Qantas Centenary $1 Coin | 604,000 | Collector premium |
Frequently asked questions
What is the green $1 coin in Australia?
It is the Donation Dollar, released in 2020 as a coin designed to be given away. Its green center and gold ripple represent the spreading impact of a donation. It was also issued in 2021.
Is the 2020 Donation Dollar worth anything?
It is worth face value. With 12,500,000 struck for circulation, it is common. It was also designed to be donated. A coin with bright, intact color is the nicest to keep if you want one for a collection.
Mintage figures: Australian one-dollar coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.