| Coin | Fifty Cents 2024 Queen Elizabeth II |
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The Australian 50 cent denomination was first introduced as a silver coin with decimalisation on 14 February 1966, but was changed in 1969 to its current specifications: a large dodecagonal (12-sided) copper-nickel coin; apart from the usual design featuring the Australian Coat of Arms, the denomination is also extensively used to issue circulating commemorative coins with various reverses. It is one of the heaviest coins in regular circulation in the world.
Apart from circulating coins, the Royal Australian Mint has a range of Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) 50 cent coins issued for collectors, such as this one.
This coin was issued in collector sets only. The date of issue is during the reign of King Charles III; however, the coins in the set feature various monarch effigies used in Australia since the introduction of decimal currency, and the 50 cents has a "memorial" obverse with the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley and the dates of her reign, 1952 - 2022. This portrait was used in Australia from 1998 to 2019.
No coins of this type were issued into circulation. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.
In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
Around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the date: ELIZABETH II 1952 - 2022 · AUSTRALIA 2024.
The legend is interrupted by the "memorial" inclusion of the dates of the Queen's reign, 1952 - 2022. |
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse of the coin depicts the Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, based on those authorised by Royal Warrant 19 September 1912 - composed of a shield divided into six parts, each containing a representation of the badge of a State. The shield is supported by a kangaroo and an emu.
The shield sits on the denomination numerals, 50 [cents]; above the shield is the Federation star. The entire design is set above a field of stylized wattle leaves.
The artist's initials SD (for Stuart Devlin) in (very) tiny letters are in the field below the numerals. |
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| Edge | Plain | Edge Inscription | None |
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