Silver Coin 2 Oz 100th Anniversary of the First Flight from England to Australia 2019 Antique Standard

100th Anniversary of the First Flight England to Australia

Minted by the Australian Mint Perth in 2019, this unique two ounce silver coin in the finest 99.99% pure silver with an antique finish is a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the first flight from England to Australia. A gold plated propeller is inserted in the centre of the coin to symbolise such a momentous flight.

The wide circle on the obverse of the coin features a map around the working propeller, with the flight route marked above an illustration of a mountain landscape. In the foreground is an illustration of the Vickers aircraft that made the journey. The mint mark 'P' is incorporated into the design at the left edge and the design is completed by the inscription 'CENTENARY OF FIRST FLIGHT', 'ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA'.
In 1919, Captain Ross Smith, and his brother Lieutenant Keith Smith, and mechanics Sergeants Wally Shier and James Bennet created a historic landmark when they landed in Darwin, Australia. They were flying a converted Vickers military bomber with an open cockpit. They took off at 8am on 12 November 1919 from the British airfield at Hounslow Heath. They flew with stopovers in Lyon, Rome, Cairo, Damascus, Basra, Karachi, Delhi, Calcutta, Sittwe, Rangoon Racecourse, Songkhla, (unscheduled in Thailand due to heavy rain), Singapore, Jakarta, Surabaya and arrived in Darwin at 1630 hours on 10 December 1919. The flight distance was estimated at 17,911 km and the total flight time was 135 hours and 55 minutes.

The circle on the reverse bears a small portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at the top, followed by three scattered lines depicting the motion of a spinning propeller and the inscriptions 'QUEEN ELIZABETH II', 'AUSTRALIA' and details of the denomination, weight, silver purity and year of issue in the outer circle.

The coin comes in a presentation frame and original gift box with a certificate of authenticity in a limited edition of 2000 pieces for the whole world.

This product is part of the following product sets: