Australian 50 cent coin
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| 50 cents (Australia) | |
|---|---|
| Value: | 0.50 AUD |
| Mass: | 15.55 g |
| Diameter: | 31.51 mm |
| Thickness: | 3.00 mm |
| Edge: | plain |
| Composition: | 75% Copper, 25% Nickel |
| Years of Minting: | 1969 – present |
| Catalog Number: | – |
| Obverse | |
| Image:Australian Fifty Cents Obv.jpg | |
| Design: | Queen Elizabeth II, Australia's Queen |
| Designer: | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design Date: | 1965 |
| Reverse | |
| Image:Australian Fifty Cents Rev.jpg | |
| Design: | Australian coat of arms |
| Designer: | Stuart Devlin |
| Design Date: | 1965 |
The twelve-sided Australian 50 cent piece is the largest Australian coin currently issued and second largest after the Crown of 1937-38. Originally the coin was made of 80% silver and 20% copper, but as the value of a free-floating silver price became higher, the coins' bullion value became more valuable than their face value and so were withdrawn from circulation. Many commemorative coins have been issued due to their large size allowing for a better image with more content. Most years have the coat of arms except those below, years of non-issue are: 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992. Standard designs were also issued with commemoratives in the following years: 1981, 2004 and 2005.
[edit] Commemorative coins
| Coin | Year | Mintage Figures [1][2] | Commemorative Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 16.54 million | 200th anniversary, Captain Cook claims the eastern coast of Australia | |
| 1977 | 25.07 million | Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II | |
| Image:Charles & Diana Royal Wedding 50 cent.jpg | 1981 | 20 million | Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer Royal Wedding |
| Image:50cent Commonwealth Games Brisbane.jpg | 1982 | 23.28 million | XII 1982 Commonwealth Games Brisbane |
| Image:First Fleet Bicentenary 1788-1988.jpg | 1988 | 8.1 million | 200th Anniversary, First Fleet |
| Image:25 Anni Decimal Curr.JPG | 1991 | 4.7 million | 25th Anniversary of Decimal Currency |
| Image:Year of the Family.JPG | 1994 | 20.87 million | International Year of the Family |
| Image:'Weary' Dunlop.JPG | 1995 | 15.86 million | In honour of Sir Ernest Edward Dunlop (Weary Dunlop) |
| Image:Discovery Bass Strait.JPG | 1998 | 22.39 million | Commemorating the discovery of The Bass Strait in 1798 by Matthew Flinders who named the Strait after his colleague George Bass |
| Image:Millennium Year.JPG | 2000 | 5.145 million | Royal Visit. This coin also featured a commemorative portrait of the Queen on the obverse. |
| Image:Royal Visit 2000.JPG | 2000 | 16.63 million | Millennium year |
| Image:50 cent ?.JPG | 2001 | 43.149 million | Centenary of Federation - Australia |
| Image:COF50 QLD.JPG | 2001 | 2.32 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - Queensland |
| Image:COF50 NSW.JPG | 2001 | 3.042 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - New South Wales |
| Image:COF50 VIC.JPG | 2001 | 2.8 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - Victoria |
| Image:Australian 50 Cent Coin Centenary of Federation Northern Territory.jpg | 2001 | 2.08 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - Northern Territory |
| Image:COF50 SA.JPG | 2001 | 2.4 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - South Australia |
| 2001 | 2.4 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - Western Australia | |
| Image:Australian 50 Cent Coin Centenary of Federation Tasmania.jpg | 2001 | 2.16 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - Tasmania |
| 2001 | 2 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - Australian Capital Territory | |
| Image:Australian 50 Cent Coin Centenary of Federation Norfolk Island.jpg | 2001 | 2.16 million | Centenary of Federation - States & Territories - Norfolk Island |
| Image:Year of the Outback.JPG | 2002 | 11.507 million | Year of the Outback |
| Image:Australia's Volunteers.JPG | 2003 | 13.927 million | Australia's Volunteers |
| Image:Student Design.JPG | 2004 | 17.918 million | Student Design - Animals, with Wombat, Koala and Cockatoo. |
| Image:60th Anniv. End of WWII.JPG | 2005 | 21,033,000 | 60th Anniversary End of World War II |
| Image:Commonwealth Games Melbourne.JPG | 2005 | 21,000,000 | Student Design - XII 2006 Commonwealth Games Melbourne |
[edit] References
- ^ Pitt, Ian W. (ed.) (2000). Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values, 19th Edition. Chippendale, New South Wales: Renniks Publications. ISBN 0-9585574-4-6. p. 85.
- ^ Australian 50c Coins. Cruzi's coins. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Australian 50 cent coin (round) | Fifty Cents (Australian) 1969–present | Succeeded by Current |
Australian currency | |
|---|---|
| Topics | Australian dollar · Reserve Bank of Australia · Note Printing Australia |
| Mints | Royal Australian Mint · Melbourne Mint · Perth Mint · Sydney Mint |
| Coins | 1c · 2c · 5c · 10c · 20c · 50c round · 50c · $1 · $2 · Pre-£ coins · Coins of £ · Coins of $ |
| Banknotes | $1 · $2 · $5 · $10 · $20 · $50 · $100 |
| Historic | Pound sterling · Australian pound · ½d · 1d · 3d · 6d · 1/- · 2/- · 5/- · 10/- · £1 · £5 · £10 · £20 · £50 · £100 · £1000 |
