designs & products
fifty cents
The 50 cent coin was first introduced with decimalisation on 14 February 1966. The original design featured the Commonwealth Coat of Arms struck on an 80 per cent silver coin. Silver prices rose above the face value of the coin in 1967 and striking of the coin was suspended in March 1968. Although it was rumoured that the Royal Australian Mint had lost money on striking these coins, all metal used in the manufacture of the 36.5 million coins produced was purchased before the price rises.
Apart from the uneconomic cost of continuing the issue of the silver 50 cents, significant negative comment arose from confusion of the circular coin with the 20 cents. The decision to reissue a 50 cent coin considered not only a change to materials but also different shapes to help solve confusion with the 20 cents. A new shape and alloy was reintroduced into circulation in September 1969.
Nominal specifications
| 1966 | 1969-present | ||
| composition | 80% silver 20% copper | composition | 75% copper 25% nickel |
| shape | circular | shape | dodecagonal |
| edge | milled | edge | plain |
| mass (grams) | 13.28 | mass (grams) | 15.55 |
| diameter (millimetres) | 31.65 | diameter (millimetres) | 31.65 (across flats) |
Mintage figures
| Reverse Design | Year and design details | Production details RAM = Royal Australian Mint |
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1966 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
36.5 million, RAM |
No 50 cents were produced in 1967 or 1968 |
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1969 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
14 million, RAM |
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1970 Commemorating the bicentenary of James Cook's 1770 voyage. Based on a painting by John Webber. The inclusion of Cook's signature was thought to be the first use of a facsimile signature on a coin. Designed by Stuart Devlin. |
16.5 million, RAM |
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1971-1976 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
1971: 21.1 million, RAM |
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1977 Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Accession of Queen Elizabeth II. Based on a central wattle blossom symbol of Australia surrounded by 25 overlapping crowns. Designed by Stuart Devlin. |
1977: 25 million, RAM |
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1978-1981 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
1978: 25.8 million, RAM |
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1981 Commemorating the marriage of HRH the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. Designed by Stuart Devlin. |
1981: 20 million, RMLL |
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1982 Commemorating the Brisbane XII Commonwealth Games. Incorporates the Games symbol designed by Hugh Edwards to reflect the form of a kangaroo in full flight. Designed by Stuart Devlin. |
1982: 49.6 million, RAM |
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1983-1985 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
1983: 48.9 million, RAM |
No 50 cents were produced in 1986 or 1987 |
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1988 Commemorating the Australian Bicentenary. Designed by Michael MacLellan Tracey. |
1988: 9 million, RAM |
No 50 cents were produced in 1989 or 1990 |
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1991 Celebrating the 25th anniversary of decimal currency. The original image of the stud ram Uardry 0.1 by George Edward Kruger Grey used on the shilling from 1937 to 1964 was reworked by Horst Hahne. |
1991: 4.7 million, RAM |
No 50 cents were produced in 1992 |
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1993 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
1993: 1 million, RAM |
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1994 Celebrating the United Nations International Year of the Family. Designed by Carolyn Rosser. |
1994: 21.3 million, RAM |
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1995 Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Designed by Louis Laumen and Horst Hahne, sculpted by Horst Hahne. |
1995: 15.9 million, RAM |
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1996-1997 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
1996: 19.3 million, RAM |
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1998 Commemorating the 200th anniversary of the voyage of Bass and Flinders. Designed by Vladimir Gottwald. |
1998: 22.4 million, RAM |
|
1999 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
1999: 20.3 million, RAM |
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2000 Designed and sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald |
2000: 16.6 million, RAM |
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2000 Commemorating the visit of Queen Elizabeth II. Designed and sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald. |
2000: 5.1 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the 1912 Commonwealth Coat of Arms granted by King George V. |
2001: 43.1 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the Coat of Arms of Canberra, granted by King George V in 1928. Designed by CR Wylie |
2001: 2 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the NSW Coat of Arms, granted by King Edward VII in 1906. Designed by William Applegate Gullick. |
2001: 3 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the Norfolk Island Coat of Arms, granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1980. |
2001: 2.2 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the Northern Territory Coat of Arms, granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978. |
2001: 2.1 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the Queensland Coat of Arms, the oldest in Australia, granted by Queen Victoria in 1893. |
2001: 2.3 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the South Australian Coat of Arms, granted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984 replacing the original granted in 1936. |
2001: 2.4 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the Tasmanian Coat of Arms, granted by King George V in 1917. |
2001: 2.2 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the Victorian Coat of Arms, granted by King George V in 1910. |
2001: 2.8 million, RAM |
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2001 Commemorating the Centenary of Federation. Featuring the Western Australian Coat of Arms, granted by Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1969. |
2001: 2.4 million, RAM |
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2002 Commemorating the Year of the Outback. Designed and sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
2002: 11.5 million, RAM |
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2003 Commemorating Australia's Volunteers. Designed and sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald. |
2003: 13.9 million, RAM |
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2004 Primary School design competition winner John Serrano. Sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald. |
2004: 10.2 million, RAM |
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2004 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
2004: 17.9 million, RAM |
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2005 Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War 2. This design was inspired by a photograph in the Australian War Memorial collection of a scene of a burial at El Alamein in 1942. Designed and sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. |
2005: 26.6 million, RAM |
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2005 Secondary School Commonwealth Games design competition winner. Designed by Kelly Just. Sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald. |
2005: 20.5 million, RAM |
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2006-2009 Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
2006: 59.3 million, RAM |
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2010 Commemorating Australia Day. Designed and sculpted by Vladimir Gottwald. |
2010: 11.4 million, RAM |
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2010-present Commonwealth Coat of Arms sculpted by Stuart Devlin |
2010: 22.2 million, RAM |
Notes for using these tables: These are final mintages where the numbers have been published in an Annual Report and all coins have been issued. Items marked not available will be updated when they pass the Annual Report and issue test.