The Royal Australian Mint will feature Australia’s black box flight recorder in its Bright Ideas coin series, with the commemorative range going on sale from 8 October. The design honours the recording device conceived by Defence scientist David Warren in Melbourne in the 1950s and highlights its role in improving aviation safety worldwide.
The black box is one of five Australian inventions in the series, alongside the jaffle maker, stump jump plough, baby safety capsule and WLAN technology. The Mint has positioned the range as a tribute to inventions that have become part of everyday life in Australia and beyond.
For aviation, the black box remains the most directly relevant design in the collection. Crash-survivable recordings from flight recorders help investigators reconstruct accidents, identify contributing factors and improve aircraft design and operating procedures. The coin will be sold through the Mint’s online store, contact centre, Mint shop and participating newsXpress outlets, while a special $2 circulating coin will also enter change on the launch date.