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Thursday, September 24, 2026 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Celebrating 50 years of the 50-cent coin

2019 50th Anniversary 50c Coin Gold Plated – uncirculated coin, reverse

THE 50th anniversary of the introduction of the copper-nickel, dodecagon 50-cent coin is being marked with a new, limited edition, collectible coin set by the Royal Australian Mint.

It’s celebrating not only 50 years but also five different effigies that have featured on the coins since 1969.

Royal Australian Mint CEO Ross MacDiarmid says the Mint has released a limited edition release featuring a gold-plated 50-cent coin to mark its golden anniversary.

When decimal currency was introduced in 1966, the 50-cent coin was the showpiece of the new circulating coins. The coins were made of silver, round in shape, and featured the Commonwealth Coat of Arms.

In 1968 the Royal Australian Mint ceased production of the coins, as silver prices started to rise above the face value of the coins. The new coins, released in 1969, were dodecagonal (twelve-sided) in shape, and manufactured in copper-nickel alloy. The new coin shape differentiated the fifty cent coins more easily from the round twenty cent coins.

Royal Australian Mint package.

The “2019 50c Uncirculated Coin Set – 50th Anniversary of the 50c” is available in a limited mintage of 20,000, from ramint.gov.au

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Helen Musa

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