1 Dollar - Elizabeth II 4th Portrait - Centenary of Federation, Gold Proof

Australia's federation centenary in 2001 prompted an unusually extensive commemorative program from the RAM, with the dollar denomination issued across multiple metals and finishes simultaneously. This gold proof was the premium tier of that release, struck in .999 fineness rather than the .9999 used for some contemporaneous Australian bullion issues — a distinction that occasionally causes confusion among collectors cataloging the series.

Federation itself came into effect on 1 January 1901, after a decade of referendums and colonial negotiations that nearly collapsed over the financial terms New South Wales demanded.