Recognizing Australian Inventions

The Royal Australian Mint is celebrating Australian inventions with its new Bright Ideas collection.

The collection includes five $1 coins that depict five prominent Australian inventions: the stump jump plow, the black box flight recorder, the jaffle maker, the baby safety capsule (better known as a car seat in America), and wireless local area network (WLAN) technology. A proof $2 coin features all five inventions, with a light bulb in the center. The legend AUSTRALIAN INVENTIONS also appears above.

At the time of this writing, the five-coin Australian inventions set is already sold out. However, the seven-coin collection, which includes the proof $2 coin, all five uncirculated $1 coins, and a colored version of the black box flight recorder coin, is currently available for US$111 on the Royal Australian Mint’s website. Additionally, the $2 proof coin can be purchased separately for US$45.

Australian Inventions 

Created in 1876 by Richard Bowyer Smith and Clarence Herbert Smith, the stump jump plow is a piece of farming equipment that helped make plowing faster and more efficient. 

In 1953 Dr. David Warren invented the black box flight recorder, which records data and voices from cockpits. The near-indestructible device helps investigators learn more about the activity that occurred prior to a plane crash.

Dr. Ernest Smithers first created a sandwich toaster in 1949 to heat bread and fillings over a fire. Then, in 1974, the appliance company Breville reimagined the invention with its electric Snack ‘n’ Sandwich Toaster, commonly referred to as a jaffle maker.

Bill Bowtell, Bob Heath, and Colin Nagel created the Safe-n-Sound Baby Safety Capsule in 1984, helping to advance infant safety in cars. 

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, first developed WLAN in 1993, allowing devices to communicate wirelessly.