Australian round fifty-cent coin facts for kids
| Australia | |
| Value | 0.50 AUD |
|---|---|
| Mass | 13.28 g |
| Diameter | 31.51 mm |
| Thickness | 2.00 mm |
| Edge | milled |
| Composition | 80% silver, 20% copper |
| Years of minting | 1966 |
| Catalog number | — |
| Obverse | |
 |
|
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II, Australia's Queen |
| Designer | Arnold Machin |
| Design date | 1966 |
| Reverse | |
 |
|
| Design | Coat of Arms of Australia |
| Designer | Stuart Devlin |
| Design date | 1965 |
The round fifty cent coin was a special coin in Australia. It was the first 50 cent coin introduced in 1966. It was also the largest and highest-value coin in Australia's new decimal currency system at the time.
Australia's First 50 Cent Coin
This coin was quite big! It was the largest coin in Australia's new money system, which started in 1966. It was worth half of an Australian dollar. Before 1966, this would have been like five shillings.
Why It Disappeared
The round fifty cent coin was made with 80% silver and 20% copper. After these coins were made, the price of silver went up very quickly. This meant the silver in the coin was soon worth more than 50 cents! Because of this, people started to keep the coins instead of spending them.
To stop this from happening, the government decided to take the coins out of circulation. They only made these round 50 cent coins in 1966. A total of about 36.45 million coins were made, but only 14 million were actually used by people.
Its Replacement
The round 50 cent coin was replaced in 1969. The new coin was a twelve-sided 50 cent coin. This new coin kept the same design on its back, which shows the Coat of Arms of Australia.
What It's Worth Today
Even though they are rarely used, round 50 cent coins are still legal money in Australia. However, most people who have them keep them as collector's items. This is because the silver inside them is still worth a lot. For example, in April 2023, the silver in one of these coins was worth about AU$12.66.
