Australia Fifty Cents

The round fifty cent coin was the highest-denomination and largest diameter coin of the Australian dollar's decimal coins, introduced in 1966. Due to large amounts made in 1966 and the rising cost of silver, it was not made in any other year. It was replaced by a dodecagonal 50 cent coin in 1969, which retained its reverse of the Australian Coat of Arms.

It 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of a free-floating silver price became higher, the coins' bullion value became higher than their face value and so were withdrawn from circulation. A total of 36.45 million coins were minted with 14 million put into circulation.

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Royal Australian Mint - Fifty Cents
Source: ramint.gov.au

The 50 cent coin was first introduced with decimalisation on 14 February 1966. It was rumoured that the Royal Australian Mint had lost money on striking the 1966 50 cent coins, all metal used in the manufacture of the 36.5 million coins produced was purchased before the price rises.

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Coins of the Australian dollar - Regular coinage
Source: en.wikipedia.org

Coins of the Australian dollar were introduced on 14 February 1966, although they did not at that time include a one-dollar coin. The dollar was equivalent in value to 10 shillings in the former currency (half of a pound).

The 50c coin originally had a circular shape, and contained 80% silver and 20% copper, so that the material of the coin was worth more than 50c. It was made to almost identical dimensional specifications as the British 2'6 pence half crown. However, to avoid confusion among the round coins, and because of its excess value, it was only produced for one year then withdrawn from circulation; there were no 50 cent coins minted for 1967 or 1968. It was changed to a 12-sided shape for 1969 and all following years, but the 12 sided issue was minted as a specimen piece in 1966-67 to test the design. It has since been issued in both standard and commemorative designs.

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