Australian round fifty-cent coin

Fifty cents
Australia
Value0.50 AUD
Mass13.28 g
Diameter31.51 mm
Thickness2.00 mm
Edgemilled
Composition80% silver, 20% copper
Years of minting1966
Catalog number—
Obverse
DesignQueen Elizabeth II, Australia's Queen
DesignerArnold Machin
Design date1966
Reverse
DesignCoat of Arms of Australia
DesignerStuart Devlin
Design date1965

The round fifty cent coin was the highest-denomination and largest diameter coin of the Australian decimal coins, introduced in 1966. It has a nominal value of half an Australian dollar, equivalent to five shillings in the pre-decimal accounting system. Due to the large number minted in 1966, and the rising cost of silver, it was not made in any other year. It was replaced by a twelve-sided 50 cent coin in 1969, which retained its reverse of the Australian Coat of Arms.

The round fifty cent coin contained 80% silver and 20% copper but, because the value of silver quickly increased after the coins were issued, their bullion value became higher than their face value, so they were withdrawn from circulation. A total of 36.45 million coins were minted, with 14 million being put into circulation.

Round 50c coins are still legal tender, but they are rarely used as means of payment. As of 12 November 2023, the bullion value of a round 50c coin was about AU$11.94[1][2][3]

References

  1. ^ "Silver Price Today". Forbes. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  2. ^ "LME Copper". The London Metal Exchange. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Convert Australian Dollar To United States Dollar". Forbes. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
Preceded by
No modern predecessor
 Fifty Cents (Australian)
1966 		Succeeded by