This beautifully framed coin set issued by the Royal Australian Mint is a limited issue of 400 pieces. It features the original coin designs on Australia's circulation coinage still seen today in your change (1c and 2c excepted). It reflects on what could have been with 10 resin replica's of some of the possible choices submitted by 5 other designers in 1963 when a competition was held to design the new coinage for Australia. From 14th February 1966 Australia moved to decimalisation and the new designs chosen were those by Stuart Devlin who is now goldsmith and jeweller to the Queen.

The framed 1966 Decimal Heritage Set features capsuled proof circulation composition 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c and a round silver 50c as they were first issued into circulation in 1966. These coins are however dated 2010 with the current obverse of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley. Are these Australia's rarest decimal coins available to collectors?

With the limited issue of just 400 the RAM sold out within just a few days. Issue price of $695 was a bit steep for some but for those that took the plunge we are now seeing results of over $1,000 for one of these listed for auction on eBay. It's a bit early to tell but with the inclusion of the 1c and 2c and the round version of our now standard dodecagonal 50c these particular coins may well have some of the lowest mintages of all of our decimal releases.

We've discussed further the mintages and rarity of this issue, see our follow-up articles "2010 Round 50c and 1 and 2c Proof Coins contained in the Framed Heritage Set" and the articles in the links above.

Cycling events held at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games were made up of three disciplines, track cycling, road cycling and mountain biking. Australia dominated the road and track cycling events with 11 gold medals. Racing on home turf was a real advantage for the Aussie team. Australian cyclist Kate Bates rode to gold in the velodrome in memory of her teammate Amy Gillet who was tragically killed in 2005.

To celebrate the sporting events held during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games a series of 16 50c coins were released by the Royal Australian Mint as well as a student designed 50c, a one dollar, $5 and $10 coins. The Mint was one of the sponsors of the Games and also designed and produced the winners' medals.

One of the next coins coins in the second release in this 50 cent coin series after the Basketball, Hockey, Shooting and Weightlifting coins was the coin depicting Cycling. It was released as a collector coin and not issued for circulation. It was issued in a capsule in an informative card by itself and for inclusion in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Sports Collection series. The individual 50c coins in the series were sold for issue price of $4.95.

The coin design is by RAM designer Wojciech Pietranik and depicts cycling in action and the Melbourne 2006 logo. The obverse is the standard portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the Games, by Ian Rank-Broadley. It is the standard dodecagonal shape 31.51mm in size and weighs 15.55g. It is made from cupro nickel which is 75% copper and 25% nickel. The card also features a sticker of 'Karak', a red-tailed black cockatoo and Games mascot indicating it is an official licensed product.

22,861 of these uncirculated coins were issued to collectors which includes 15,500 issued for inclusion in the complete collection folder.

The complete collection folder included the 16 sporting 50c, the student design 50c and the Queen's Baton Relay $5 coin. Initially these folders were sold (May 2005) as a starter pack which included the first 4 sporting 50c coins and the rest of the sporting 50c were sent out to collectors as they were released later in the year. This cycling coin was in the second release in July 2005.

We spoke about the latest Royal Australian Mint annual report in part one of this entry that crunched some of the numbers and gave you a simplified view of what happened at the RAM for the 2009-2010 reporting period. This entry will focus more on the production side and what changes and events happened affecting the coins themselves.

For 3 months the RAM hosted an engraving apprentice form the Royal Canadian Mint as part of their staff exchange program.

Toolroom staff built a buffer stock of approximately 3 months (at single shifts) worth of circulating coin dies with the aim of reducing operational risks in the workplace. In addition to this there have been innovative improvements to the die production process providing for a longer life of the coin dies. One of these is the use of TEER coatings on the die surface. This is a special metallic coating applied specifically to coining dies allowing longer production runs without a decline in the quality of the manufactured coins or wear seen on the dies. We're talking a 10,000% improvement using the TEER method. It is a more environmentally friendly process than previously used chromium procedures.

For the 09/10 financial year the tooling room produced a total of 3,332 dies and 127 coining collars comprising 2,355 circulating coin dies and 977 numismatic dies to meet the demands of circulating and numismatic production for the year. This is the first year since 2006 that the RAM has used it's full production potential due to the refurbishment.

The research and development team have conducted trials on the proof production press tooling, developing a prototype with improved strength and accuracy helping to centralise the dies and collars during the coin striking. This allows for better ergonomics during tool setup improving setup time enhancing accuracy and producing better quality coins.

Following research and development trials, a product called Intercept Shield has been used in the 2010 proof sets. The foam inserts contain a copper based corrosion and tarnish inhibitor reducing the need for lacquer based corrosion protection. This greatly improves OH&S working conditions for the operators.

The weightlifting seen at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre for the XVIII Commonwealth Games was a test of strength and power. Competition included a Powerlifting event held for the first time, EAD, for Elite Athletes with a Disability in which Ruel Ishaku from Nigeria took the gold. Again Australia dominated the medal tally with 4 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze.

To celebrate the sporting events held during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games a series of 16 50c coins were released by the Royal Australian Mint as well as a student designed 50c, a one dollar, $5 and $10 coins. The Mint was one of the sponsors of the Games and also designed and produced the winners' medals.

One of the first coins to be released in this 50 cent coin collection was the coin depicting Weightlifting. It was released as a collector coin and not issued for circulation. It was issued in a capsule in an informative card by itself and for inclusion in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Sports Collection series. The individual 50c coins in the series were sold for issue price of $4.95.

The coin design is by RAM designer Wojciech Pietranik and depicts the sport in action and the Melbourne 2006 logo. The obverse is the standard portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the Games, by Ian Rank-Broadley. It is the standard dodecagonal shape 31.51mm in size and weighs 15.55g. It is made from cupro nickel which is 75% copper and 25% nickel. The card also features a sticker of 'Karak', a red-tailed black cockatoo and Games mascot indicating it is an official licensed product.

22,332 of these uncirculated coins were issued to collectors which includes 15,500 issued for inclusion in the complete collection folder.

The complete collection folder included the 16 sporting 50c, the student design 50c and the Queen's Baton Relay $5 coin. Initially these folders were sold as a starter pack which included the first 4 sporting 50c coins and the rest of the sporting 50c were sent out to collectors as they were released later in the year.

The 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games shooting program included clay target, pistol, small bore and air rifle and and full bore rifle competitions. 40 medals were up for grabs in these events with the Indian team leading the shooting medal tally with 16 gold medal wins. Husband and wife Samaresh and Anuja Jung from India competed both winning gold. Samaresh also won the David Dixon Award for the most outstanding athlete of the Commonwealth Games and setting 3 new Games records.

To celebrate popular sporting events held during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games a series of 16 50c coins were released by the Royal Australian Mint as well as a student designed 50c, a one dollar, $5 and $10 coins. The Mint was one of the sponsors of the Games and also designed and produced the winners' medals.

One of the first coins to be released in this 50 cent coin collection was the coin depicting Shooting. It was released as a collector coin and not issued for circulation. It was issued in a capsule in an informative card by itself and for inclusion in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Sports Collection series. The individual 50c coins in the series were sold for issue price of $4.95.

The coin design is by RAM designer Wojciech Pietranik and depicts the sport in action and the Melbourne 2006 logo. The obverse is the standard portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the Games, by Ian Rank-Broadley. It is the standard dodecagonal shape 31.51mm in size and weighs 15.55g. It is made from cupro nickel which is 75% copper and 25% nickel. The card also features a sticker of 'Karak', a red-tailed black cockatoo and Games mascot indicating it is an official licensed product.

21,070 of these uncirculated coins were issued to collectors which includes 15,500 issued for inclusion in the complete collection folder.

The complete collection folder included the 16 sporting 50c, the student design 50c and the Queen's Baton Relay $5 coin. Initially these folders were sold as a starter pack which included the first 4 sporting 50c coins and the rest of the sporting 50c were sent out to collectors as they were released later in the year.

Hockey was played at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006 in a round robin style of competition. Australia won gold medals in both the mens and womens team events played at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Victoria. Australia's mens team defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the final picking up another gold medal for the tally. The women's team, the Hockeyroos defeated India 1-0 to again bring home the gold.

To celebrate popular sporting events held during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games a series of 16 50c coins were released by the Royal Australian Mint as well as a student designed 50c, a one dollar, $5 and $10 coins. The Mint was one of the sponsors of the Games and also designed and produced the winners' medals.

One of the first coins to be released in this 50 cent coin collection was the coin depicting Hockey. It was released as a collector coin and not issued for circulation. It was issued in a capsule in an informative card by itself and for inclusion in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Sports Collection series. The individual 50c coins in the series were sold for issue price of $4.95.

The coin design is by RAM designer Wojciech Pietranik and depicts the sport in action and the Melbourne 2006 logo. The obverse is the standard portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the Games, by Ian Rank-Broadley. It is the standard dodecagonal shape 31.51mm in size and weighs 15.55g. It is made from cupro nickel which is 75% copper and 25% nickel. The card also features a sticker of 'Karak', a red-tailed black cockatoo and Games mascot indicating it is an official licensed product.

21,761 of these uncirculated coins were issued to collectors which includes 15,500 issued for inclusion in the complete collection folder.

The complete collection folder included the 16 sporting 50c, the student design 50c and the Queen's Baton Relay $5 coin. Initially these folders were sold as a starter pack which included the first 4 sporting 50c coins and the rest of the sporting 50c were sent out to collectors as they were released later in the year.

For the first time at a Commonwealth Games the sport of Basketball was played at the Melbourne Games in 2006. Australia won gold medals in both the mens and womens team games played in regional Victoria with the finals taking place at Melbourne Park. Australia's women's Opals made a convincing win over New Zealand in the final and the men's Boomers played a tight jaw-clenching game to take out the gold against New Zealand.

To celebrate popular sporting events held during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games a series of 16 50c coins were released by the Royal Australian Mint as well as a student designed 50c, a one dollar, $5 and $10 coins. The Mint was one of the sponsors of the Games and also designed and produced the winners' medals.

One of the first coins to be released in this 50 cent coin collection was the coin depicting Basketball. It was released as a collector coin and not issued for circulation. It was issued in a capsule in an informative card by itself and for inclusion in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games Sports Collection series. The individual 50c coins in the series were sold for issue price of $4.95.

The coin design is by RAM designer Wojciech Pietranik and depicts the sport in action and the Melbourne 2006 logo. The obverse is the standard portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the Games, by Ian Rank-Broadley. It is the standard dodecagonal shape 31.51mm in size and weighs 15.55g. It is made from cupro nickel which is 75% copper and 25% nickel. The card also features a sticker of 'Karak', a red-tailed black cockatoo and Games mascot indicating it is an official licensed product.

21,994 of these coins uncirculated were issued to collectors which includes 15,500 issued for inclusion in the complete collection folder.

The Royal Australian Mint annual report is released every year which is exciting as it lets collectors accurately know what the mintages of all the Mint produced products are. Not excited yet? Well apart from this, it provides an overview of the Mint's activities for the year. This years report is 156 pages long and can appear tiresone. So......excited as I am, I thought I'd give it a run through and provide readers with an overview of interesting facts contained in the 2009/2010 Annual Report.

The Mint Shop and gallery attracted 256,000 visitors for this reported financial year. In January 2010 a computerised thermal imaging system was installed to calculate this number of visitors to the Mint. The Mint Coin shop has increased it's sales revenue by 57% from the previous financial year. At present Online Sales are managed by a Call Centre separate to the RAM facility. It's interesting to note that RAM sales direct to Australia Post has seen a drop of 14% which is seen as a direct response to the decrease in the disposable income of self-funded retirees due to the instability of the global financial market. A contradiction to this is a 90% increase in sales to international dealers which has been attributed to the RAM's attendance at international coin shows.

For this reported financial year the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra produced 527,000,000 pieces of Australian circulating coinage which is an increase of 83% on the previous year.

There's much more interesting information to follow in Part TwoPart Two, so check the Australian Threepence Weblog again soon.

Commemorating the Centenary of Federation in 2001 the coin seen above was issued into circulation. It is the 20 cent piece for Norfolk Island, just one of 9 twenty cent coins in the State Series depicting each Australian State and self-governing Territory. A series of $1, 50c and 20c designs were released by the Royal Australian Mint commemorating 100 years since Australia's Federation in 1901.

The reverse design is by Year 8 student Megan Cummings from Norfolk Island Central School who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for her state/territory. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coins representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Megan's design tells the story of the Island's people depicting the Norfolk Pine superimposed of a map of the Island. The bird refers to the white terns seen on the island, the sun a reflection of the beautiful weather, an anchor denoting HMS Sirius shipwrecked off the coast in 1790, fish representing marine life and a ship* incorporated in the design refers to the supplies arriving to the island each month. Her initial's MC have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,200,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

6,200 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
15,900 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

3,750 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,024 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

* There is conflicting information over whether the ship in Megan's design denotes the story of the Pitcairn Islanders who settled on Norfolk Island in 1856.
source:RAM Media Release 11th June 2001.

Article reference: The Mint Issue No 42 May 2001

Commemorating the Centenary of Federation in 2001 the ACT coin seen above was issued into circulation. It is the 20 cent piece for the Australian Capital Territory, just one of 9 twenty cent coins in the State Series depicting each Australian State and self-governing Territory. A series of $1, 50c and 20c designs were released by the Royal Australian Mint commemorating 100 years since Australia's Federation in 1901.

The reverse design is by Year 7 student Stacy Jo-Ann Paine from Caroline Chisholm High School who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for her state/territory. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coins representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Stacy wanted her design to include as many Canberra icons and federation symbols as possible and came up with a computer generated design for her entry. It depicts the flagpole at Parliament house surrounded by a map of the Territory, the Federation Star, a Royal Bluebell and a bunch of Canberra Federation Roses (a special ACT floral emblem for the Centenary of Federation Year 2001). Her initial's SJP have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,100,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

14,714 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
21,145 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

5,516 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,244 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

Commemorating the Centenary of Federation in 2001 the coin seen above was issued into circulation. It is the 20 cent piece for Northern Territory, just one of 9 twenty cent coins in the State Series depicting each Australian State and Territory. A series of $1, 50c and 20c designs were released by the Royal Australian Mint commemorating 100 years since Australia's Federation in 1901.

The reverse design is by Year 6 student Lisa Brett from Leanyer Primary School who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for her state. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coins representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Abbey's hand drawn design depicts wetlands, the home of the Brolga, seen dancing in the design. It shows hills and open skies, the beauty of the Northern Territory landscape. Her initial's LB have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,100,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

3,970 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
11,852 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

2.985 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,182 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

To commemorate the Centenary of Federation in 2001 the coin seen above was issued into circulation. It is the 20 cent piece for Tasmania, just one of 9 twenty cent coins in the State Series depicting each Australian State and Territory. A series of $1, 50c and 20c designs were released by the Royal Australian Mint commemorating 100 years since Australia's Federation in 1901.

The reverse design is by Year 11 student Abbey MacDonald from Launceston Church Grammar School who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for her state. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coin representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Abbey's hand drawn design depicts the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine (whom is also a supporter on the State Coat of Arms) against a backdrop of a map of the state. Her initial's AM have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,200,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

4,052 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
11,582 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

2,802 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,192 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

To commemorate the Centenary of Federation in 2001 the coin seen above was issued into circulation. It is the 20 cent piece for Western Australia, just one of 9 twenty cent coins in the State Series depicting each Australian State and Territory. A series of $1, 50c and 20c designs were released by the Royal Australian Mint commemorating 100 years since the Federation of Australia in 1901.

The reverse design is by Janice Ng, a Forrestfield Senior High School student who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for her state. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coin representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Janice's design features the flower of the state's official floral emblem, the Red and Green Kangaroo Paw and the endangered Bilby against an outline of Western Australia. Her initial's JN have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,400,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

5,702 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
11,527 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

3,829 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,199 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

Seen above is the 2001 20 cent coin for South Australia in the State Series commemorating the Centenary of Federation and is found in circulation. Just one of 9 twenty cent coins in the State Series depicting each Australian State and Territory. A series of $1, 50c and 20c designs were released by the Royal Australian Mint commemorating 100 years since the Federation of Australia.

The reverse design is by Year 9 student Lisa Murphy of Yankalilla Area School who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for her state. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coin representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Lisa uses the State's floral emblem the Sturt's Desert Pea, a depiction of the Flinders Ranges and the Southern Cross. Her initial's LM have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,400,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

4,782 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
12,260 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

3,625 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,179 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

Commemorating the Centenary of Australia's Federation, 2001 saw many coins released by the Royal Australian Mint for this special occasion. I've compiled a list so you can easily find the articles relevant to each issue. All of the coins listed below can be found in circulation.

Twenty Cents 20c

New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Norfolk Island

Fifty Cents 50c

Centenary of Federation (National Issue)

New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
Norfolk Island

One Dollar $1

Centenary of Federation

Seen above is the 2001 20 cent coin for Queensland in the State Series commemorating the Centenary of Federation and is found in circulation. Just one of 9 twenty cent coins in the State Series depicting each Australian State and Territory. A series of 50c coins was also released and a one dollar coin, commemorating 100 years since the Federation of Australia.

The reverse design is by Jenifer Gray of Ingham State High School who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for her state. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coin representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Jenifer uses the surface of the coin as a timeclock of Australian history beginning with a stylised gecko leaving ripples in the water. The 'hour' hand of time points to Federation in 1901 and footprints turn to shoeprints in the sand depicting the lasting impression of our journey. The 'minute' hand points to the Centenary of Federation 2001 above a depiction of a computer chipboard denoting the age of technology and it's role into the future. Her initial's JG have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,300,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

13,050 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
20,190 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

5,668 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,242 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

The 2001 20 cent coin for Victoria in the State Series commemorating the Centenary of Federation can be seen above and is also found in change. Just one in the State Series depicting each Australian State and Territory with 9 twenty cent coins in total being issued. A series of 50c coins were also released and a one dollar coin, all into circulation commemorating 100 years since the Federation of Australia.

The reverse design is by Ryan Douglas Ladd and Mark Aaron Kennedy, Lara Lake Primary School students who were the winners of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for their state. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory, the coin representing the vision and talent of Australia's youth. Their design features Melbourne's Royal Exhibition building which is significant as the location of the first sitting of Federal Parliament in 1901. It is surrounded by Victoria's floral emblem Common Heath. The boys' initial's RDL and MAK have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

2,900,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

14,499 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
18,643 uncirculated coins were issued to complete 21,040 20 coin sets

5,777 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
10,147 proof coins were issued in complete 13,000 20 coin sets.

The 2001 20 cent coin for New South Wales in the State Series commemorating the Centenary of Federation can be seen above and can also be found in change. Just one in the State Series depicting each Australian State and Territory with 9 coins in total being issued. A series of 50c coins were also released and a one dollar coin, all into circulation commemorating 100 years since the Federation of Australia.

The reverse design is by Joseph Neve, a Bellingen High school student who was the winner of the Royal Australian Mint's student design competition for his state. This was a national competition for primary and secondary school students to design a coin to represent their state or territory. His design is a silhouette of NSW behind a skillfully portrayed image of the Waratah, the NSW floral emblem. Joseph's initial's JKN have also been included on the design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin weighs 11.30 grams and is 28.52mm in diameter. It is made form Cupro Nickel, 75% copper and 25% Nickel.

3,203,000 of these coins were issued into circulation but many of these have been put aside by collectors so it's not that common to find one in your change.

17,593 uncirculated coins were issued in 3 coin sets
21,040 uncirculated coins were issued in incomplete 20 coin sets

9,923 proof coins were issued in 3 coin sets
13,000 proof coins were issued in incomplete 20 coin sets.

In 2005 a coin and stamp cover was released promoting numerous heritage sites throughout the world. The Royal Australian Mint, Australia Post, the Royal Mint and the Royal Mail produced this PNC which was limited to 30,000 issued.

The cover includes the Australian Coat of Arms standard dodecagonal 50c coin and a British 50 pence piece. Interesting and unique to this issue is that this cover is the only way to secure one of these coins as it was not issued elsewhere in 2005. It is the lowest mintage year 50c.

The envelope houses a fold out card incorporating the 2 coins. It explains in detail our world heritage sites Dinosaur Provincial Park Canada, Ironbridge Gorge Britain, Ghadames Old Town Libya, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway India, Great Barrier Reef Australia, Salvador De Bahia Brazil and Heard and McDonald Islands in the Southern Ocean. It explains the world heritage convention setup by UNESCO in 1972 to identify, protect and preserve these special areas of the world.

Each PNC is numbered on the front and shows 8 stamps depicting photographs of some of the sites. It is postmarked in Sydney Australia and Stonehenge England on 21st April 2005.

In 2006 Melbourne, Australia hosted the XVIII Commonwealth Games. There were many many coin issues marking this event including an NCLT one dollar and a 50c coin into circulation in the Royal Australian Mint's Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Coin Program.

To celebrate the Games the RAM released two uncirculated collector $5 coins. One of these was included in this Australia Post coin and stamp cover.The reverse coin design depicts 71 figures surrounding the Commonwealth Crown and the Games logo and was designed by Wojciech Pietranik. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank- Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with the words 5 dollars on the obverse.

The coin is aluminium-zinc-bronze and is legal tender for five dollars. It weighs 20g and is 38.74mm in diameter.

The PNC features a 50c stamp and is postmarked 12th January 2006 at Melbourne Victoria. The PNC was issued for $14.95 by Australia Post and has a mintage of 22,552.

2010 celebrates the bicentenary of Lachlan Macquarie becoming Governor of the NSW colony. 200 years ago Scottish born Macquarie arrived in the colony of NSW to lead and build. He was instructed to improve morals of the colonists, encourage marriage, provide education and increase agriculture.

To celebrate his governance in the new colony the Perth Mint produced an NCLT one dollar coin for exclusive inclusion in this stamp and coin cover released by Australia Post. The reverse design of the coin features Governor Macquarie's portrait, a five-shilling holey dollar and a 15 pence dump. These were Australia's first coinage made from Spanish silver dollars. This reverse was designed by Ryan Vanderwiel. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank- Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with the words 1 dollar on the obverse.

The coin is uncirculated aluminium bronze and is legal tender for one dollar. It is not the standard size for circulation, being 30.6mm (standard is 25mm) and weighs 13.8g.

The PNC features four 55c stamps and is postmarked 16th February 2010 at Macquarie Centre NSW. The limited edition PNC was issued for $19.95 by Australia Post and has a mintage of 15,000. Each PNC has it's own number and has it's own Australia Post authentic merchandise sticker.

2010 celebrated 100 years of the first coins minted for the Commonwealth of Australia. A detailed article we've written previously explains our early currency. Beginning with silver threepences, sixpences, shillings and florins in 1910, copper pennies and halpennies appeared in 1911.

To celebrate 100 years of Commonwealth Coinage the Royal Australian Mint produced an NCLT one dollar coin which was the mintmark release for 2010. The Centenary of Commonwealth Coinage one dollar reverse was designed by Vladimir Gottwald. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank- Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. It was released with a variety of privymarks, C mintmark and a C counterstamp and in various silver proof issues.

The coin is the standard aluminium bronze dollar as seen in circulation but has been issued as NCLT -non circulating legal tender. It weighs 9g and is 25mm in diameter.

The PNC features a $2.75c and 55c stamps. The stamps depict a 1910 florin and have a raised affect giving them a third dimension. They even turned this coin collector into a stamp collector albeit briefly. It has a card insert which features the coin with a C mintmark. The card insert depicts the King whom appeared on the 1910 currency King Edward VII. The PNC was issued for $14.95 by Australia Post, check the 2010 Mintage Table for the final mintage of this issue.

2007 celebrated the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Opened in 1932 it has become a national icon, a magnificent achievement in construction.

To celebrate this 75th Anniversary the Royal Australian Mint produced an NCLT one dollar coin which was the mintmark release for 2007. The Sydney Harbour Bridge one dollar reverse was designed by Wojciech Pietranik. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank- Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. It was released with C, S, B and M mintmarks and a no mintmark proof issue

The coin is the standard aluminium bronze dollar as seen in circulation but has been issued as NCLT -non circulating legal tender. It weighs 9g and is 25mm in diameter.

The PNC features a $1.95c stamp postmarked 15 June 2007 in Sydney. It has a card insert which features the coin with an S mintmark. The card insert depicts historic images of the bridge as the two sides joined in 1930. The PNC was issued for $14.95 by Australia Post. 250 PNC's were stamped with a silver overprint from the Sydney Stamp Expo in 2007.

2003 celebrated the Queen's Golden Jubilee. 50 years since the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II after her father King George VI's passing.

To celebrate this 50th Anniversary the Royal Australian Mint produced an NCLT 50c coin. The Golden Jubilee 50c reverse was designed by artist Peter Soobik and was sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank- Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin is the standard plain edged 12 sided 50c seen in circulation but has been issued as NCLT -non circulating legal tender. It weighs 15.55g and is 31.51mm in diameter. It is however made from aluminium bronze instead of the usual cupro nickel, a first for the 50c piece.

The PNC features a $2.45 and 50c stamp postmarked 2 June 2003 at Elizabeth South Australia , a suburb north of Adelaide. It has a card insert which features the coin. The PNC was issued for $11.95 by Australia Post with a mintage of 65,003 .

In 2008 the Scouting movement in Australia celebrated 100 years. In 2008 there were about 60,000 Scouts in Australia meeting regularly and enjoying outdoor activities and building skills to help them grow into strong citizens of Australia.

To celebrate this centenary the Royal Australian Mint produced both a one dollar coin into circulation
and an NCLT 50c coin. The Scouting 50c reverse was designed by Caitlin Goodall. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank- Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin is the standard plain edged 12 sided cupro nickel 50c seen in circulation but has been issued as NCLT -non circulating legal tender. It weighs 15.55g and is 31.51mm in diameter.

The PNC features a 50c stamp postmarked 19 February 2008 at Frankston Victoria, where the first Australian Pan Pacific Scout Jamboree was held in 1934. It has a card insert which features the coin. The PNC was issued for $14.95 by Australia Post with a mintage of 33,002 .

The modern life saving movement began in 1907 when the NSW Surf Bathing Association was founded. Today, generations of Surf Livesavers both volunteers and paid clubs watch over our social activities on Australia's beaches keeping the community safe in the water. The surf lifesaver has become a symbol of Australia's identity.

100 years later in 2007 the Royal Australian Mint released a one dollar and 20c commemorative coins. Both issued as collector coins and were not issued into circulation. This 20c was designed by Tony Dean and the reverse features a female life saver riding the surf. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II

The coin is the standard milled edge cupro nickel 20c seen in circulation but has been issued as NCLT -non circulating legal tender only in this PNC of 2007. It weighs 11.3g and is 28.52mm in diameter.

The PNC features a holographic $2.45c stamp postmarked 6 March 2007 at Bondi Beach NSW, one of Australia's most famous beaches. It has a card insert which features the coin. It was issued for $14.95 by Australia Post.

A PNC or Postal Numismatic Cover is a joint release by the Mint (either Perth Mint or Royal Australian Mint) and Australia Post. It is an envelope usually with a design and a stamp, postmark and a coin insert.

Unofficial

1966 99 Co. PNC's for each new decimal denomination
1969 Yarralumla PNC

Official Royal Australian Mint

1994 Year of the Family 50c
1995 Weary Dunlop End of WWII 50th Anniversary 50c
1997 Sir Donald Bradman tribute $5
1998 Bass and Flinders 50c
1999 Year of Older Persons $1
2000 The Last Anzacs $1
2000 For Valour Victoria Cross $1
2001 Army Centenary $1
2002 50th Anniversary of Accession of Queen Elizabeth II 50c
2003 50th Anniversary of Coronation Golden Jubilee 50c
2005 100 years of the Australian Open Tennis $5
2005 World Heritage Sites 50c (jointly with the UK)
2005 Queen's Baton Relay $5
2006 Commonwealth Games $5
2007 Sydney Harbour Bridge $1
2007 The Ashes $1
2007 Year of the Surf Lifesaver 20c
2007 Bounding Kangaroos $1
2008 Centenary of Scouting 50c
2008 100 Years of Quarantine $1
2009 Australia Post Bicentenary $1
2010 Lost Soldiers of Fromelles 20c
2010 Centenary of the Australian Tax Office 20c
2010 150th Running of the Melbourne Cup 50c
2010 Centenary of Australian Commonwealth Coinage $1
2010 Centenary of Girl Guides $1
2011 National Service 50c
2011 The Ashes 20c
2011 Royal Wedding 50c
2011 The President's Cup $1
2011 International Year of Volunteers 10th Anniversary 20c
2011 Remembrance Day 11/11/11 $5
2012 Australian Open Tennis 100th Mens Championship $5
2012 Australian Open $1 (contains 2 coins)
2012 Year of Co-operatives $1
2012 Sir Douglas Mawson 1 dollar
2012 Sumatran Tiger coloured 1 dollar
2012 Remembrance Day Coloured Poppy $2 Cmm
2012 50th Anniversary of the Australian Ballet 50c
2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee 50 cent
2012 AFL Premiers $1 Sydney Swans PNC
2013 50 Years of the Bathurst Endurance Race 50c
2013 Surfing Australia 50c
2013 Canberra Centenary 20 cent
2013 100 Years of Commonwealth Stamps (Kangaroo and Map) 50 cent PNC
2013 100 Years of Commonwealth Stamps (Kangaroo and Map) M Counterstamp 50 cent PNC World Stamp Expo 6 different foil colour postmarks
2013 Black Caviar 1 dollar PNC (non-coloured dollar)
2013 Black Caviar 1oz fine silver proof Dollar in PNC (mintage 100)
2013 Parliament House 20 cent PNC
2013 Army Chaplains 20c PNC, individually numbered limited to 300 $29.95
2013 AFL Premiers Hawthorn Dollar PNC
2013 Holey Dollar and Dump (C mintmark) 1 Dollar PNC
2013/2014 Royal Baby 50c Christening PNC (limited mintage 14,000)
2013/14 The Urn Returns The Ashes 20c PNC (limited mintage 7,500 individually numbered)
2014 Anzac Centenary $1 PNC circulation commemorative coin

Official Perth Mint

2004 Eureka Stockade $5
2005 Year of the Rooster 50c
2006 Year of the Dog 50c
2006 Queen's 80th Birthday 50c
2006 Dame Edna Barry Humphries 50c
2007 Year of the Pig 50c
2007 50th Anniversary of the SAS
2008 Year of the Rat $1
2008 World Youth Day $1
2008 Beijing Olympics $1
2008 150 years of Australian Football $1
2008 Remembrance End of WWII $1
2009 Year of the Ox $1
2009 200 Years of Australian Post $1
2009 Stargazing $1
2010 Year of the Tiger
2010 Shanghai World Expo $1
2010 Centenary of Powered Flight $1
2010 Burke and Wills $1
2010 Lachlan Macquarie $1
2011 Queen Elizabeth II 85th Birthday $1
2011 Year of the Rabbit $1
2011 Dame Nellie Melba $1
2011 Royal Australian Navy $1
2011 Centenary of Duntroon RMC $1
2011 Bush Babies Koala $1 (issue 1 of 5)
2011 Bush Babies Dingo $1 (issue 2 of 5)
2011 Bush Babies Kangaroo $1
2011 Bush Babies Bilby $1 (issue 3 of 5)
2011 Bush Babies Sugar Glider $1
2011 Christmas $1
2012 London Olympics 3 coin pnc 1 dollar
2012 The Road to London 1 dollar
2012 London Olympics Gold Medallists PNC Collection (7 pnc's all with the same 1 dollar coins)
2012 Year of the Dragon 1 dollar
2012 Anzac Day 1 dollar
2012 Merry Christmas $1

2013 Year of the Snake 1 dollar
2013 Bush Babies II Kookaburra 1 dollar
2013 Bush Babies II Possum 1 dollar
2013 Bush Babies II Platypus 1 dollar
2013 Bush Babies II Echidna 1 dollar
2013 Bush Babies II Wombat 1 dollar
2013 Bush Babies PNC Collection Series I (set of 5 PNCs) $159.95
2013 Bush Babies PNC Collection Series II (set of 5 PNCs) $159.95
2013 Royal Baby Birth of a Prince (George) 1 dollar PNC limited to 12,000, $15.95
2013 Royal Baby Birth of a Prince (George) 1 dollar PNC World Stamp Expo Gold Foil Postmark limited to 300
2013 Christmas 1 Dollar PNC
2013 60th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation 1oz silver proof coin in PNC (numbered, foil postmark, mintage 100 $149.95)
2013 Ludwig Leichhardt 1813-c.1848 1 Dollar PNC (Australia/Germany Joint Issue)

Official Joint Perth Mint and Royal Australian Mint

2000 Sydney Olympic Games Swimming $5
2000 Sydney Olympic Games Athletics $5
2013 Centenary of the first Commonwealth Banknote Royal Australian Mint 20 cent and Perth Mint 1 dollar.

Note: Some issues contain standard circulation type coins and some NCLT or Non-Circulating Legal Tender.

From 2011 the Royal Australian Mint will release all it's official products that are part of the Mint's official numismatic program with a special holographic seal helping consumers to recognise authentic RAM products (excluding the gallery press mintmark coin).

It is hoped that this special seal will help consumers differentiate between privately produced issues and products that are not officially endorsed.

The sticker seen above is a hologram which looks different depending on the angle you view it. It is custom-made and tamper proof.

Corporate products made by the Royal Australian Mint but not distributed by them will not have this sticker

2003 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Elizabeth was just 25 years old when she took the throne after the passing of her father King George VI. On June 2nd 1953 the Coronation ceremony took place crowning Elizabeth as Queen of England and the Commonwealth.

A fitting accompaniment to the 2002 50c issue commemorating 50years of Accession to the throne this coin released in 2003 celebrates 50 years of the crowning of the Queen.

The design by artist Peter Soobik was sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik and depicts St Edward's Crown, the Federation Star and sprigs of wattle. It is also inscribed with Fiftieth Anniversary Coronation Elizabeth 1953 2003 EIIR. The obverse is the standard effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.

The uncirculated coin was issued in a joint RAM-Australia Post PNC postmarked June 2nd 2003. The coin has a plain edge and is dodecagonal in shape 31.51mm. The most interesting element of this release is that the coin isn't the usual cupro nickel composition, it has been struck on an aluminium bronze planchet. Weighing a little less at 14.09g it's composition is 92% copper and 6% aluminium, the same material of the Australian one dollar coin. 65,003 of these PNC's were released at $11.95.

6,967 of these coins were also issued in 99.9% silver proof weighing 18.24g. 660 of these coins were issued in a 2 coin set with a commemorative $100 gold coin.

2002 marks 50 years since King George VI died peacefully in his sleep and his twenty five year old daughter Princess Elizabeth was called to the throne. It was the morning of 6th February 1952 that the world learned this sad news and Princess Elizabeth made immediate plans to return home from a trip to Kenya. The Accession Council met on 8th February 1952 where the new Queen pledged to continue her fathers work.

The 25th anniversary or the Silver Jubilee of the Queen's Accession was celebrated with a 50c release in 1977 and again to mark this Golden Jubilee a new design was released by the Royal Australian Mint in 2002. This coin was originally intended to circulate but this decision was overruled after advice form the Treasury that there was enough 50c pieces already in circulation.

The reverse design by Peter Soobik was sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik and shows St Edward's Crown and Australia's Federation Star. It is also inscribed with Fiftieth Anniversary Elizabeth Accession 1952 2002 EIIR George VI . The obverse is the standard effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.

The uncirculated coin was issued in a joint RAM-Australia Post PNC in cupro nickel (75% copper and 25% Nickel) postmarked February 6th 2002. It weighs 15.55 grams, has a plain edge and is dodecagonal in shape 31.51mm. 32,102 of these PNC's were released for $9.95 and this issue now has one of the highest CV of all 50c issues ($325 McDonald's 17th Ed 2010).

13,500 of these coins were also issued in 99.9% silver proof weighing 18.24g. 1,500 of these coins were issued in a 2 coin set with a commemorative $100 gold coin.

A further 3,000 silver proofs were also released to the Royal Mint in London for issue in a 3 coin set with a Canadian Dollar and UK Five Pound coins in a plush purple case.

The 2010 Tax Office Centenary 20c released into circulation has been found in a numbered PNC and is now being given as a special gift to all employees of the Australian Tax Office as a thank you for all their hard work. The coin is being issued in a card (seen below) with a special message from Michael D'Ascenzo the Commissioner of Taxation. It will also be given as a gift to visiting dignitaries and guests at special events and to ATO alumni.

"Riding on the Sheep's Back" Australian Wool is the theme for the 2011 two coin sets issued by the Royal Australian Mint. The designs on a 20c and one dollar coin capture the essence of how primary industry in wool production has been a major contributor to the rising Australian economy. Australia has been exporting wool since 1811, 100 years ago. Merino sheep first arrived with the Fleet in 1788 which began one of our most successful industries. Australia is the world leader in wool production with the majority still being from Merino sheep.

The reverse design by Vladimir Gottwald features a shearer busily shearing a sheep on a map of Australia. The textured background represents the crimped fleece of the sheep -the Merino being well known for having the finest crimp and finest fibre (microns). The obverse is the standard effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.

The one dollar is the standard 25mm, 9 gram aluminium bronze type that you would see in circulation but has been issued as a collector coin only. It has been issued in a 2 coin uncirculated set of which there is a capped mintage of 40,000 for $15 and a 2 coin proof set with a capped mintage of 25,000 for $45. See the most up to date mintage information in the 2011 mintage table.

In 2011 the Royal Australian Mint continues with the 5th in an ongoing series of NCLT (non-circulating legal tender) one dollar coins depicting each lunar year and their representative animals. The series has previously seen the coin feature a tiger in 2010, an ox in 2009, a rat in 2008 and a pig in 2007. Intended as a collectors coin this 2011 $1 marks the birth of a loved one or a birthday gift for those born in the year of the rabbit. Those born in 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939 or 1927 were also born into the year of the rabbit. Dominant traits of those born into the year of the rabbit is affection, conservativeness and a head for business. The Chinese believe that each zodiac animal has a profound influence on the personality and destiny of each person born into that zodiac year.

The Year of the Rabbit one dollar design by Vladimir Gottwald features a Rabbit with authentic chinese symbols all in a symetrical design on the reverse. It also features Gottwald's initial as the designer of the reverse. The coin is issued in a protective capsule housed in an informative card. This card features a red and gold design, the traditional colours of good fortune in Chinese culture. The coin features "2011 Year of the Rabbit" on the reverse and, different to other standard dollar issues, states the denomination "1 Dollar" on the obverse below the portrait. It is the standard 25mm size, 9 gram, aluminium bronze one dollar coin with the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

This year of the Rabbit one dollar is issued in uncirculated condition for $12.95. The design is also issued also in 99.9% silver proof (11.66g) for $45 with a mintage of 10,000 and (1/10oz 17.53mm) $10 gold proof coin for $265 with a capped mintage of 2,500.

Following on from the $200 gold coin program started in 1980 with the Koala Reverse $200 gold coin was the Charles and Diana Royal Wedding $200 gold coin issued in 1981. Struck to brilliant uncirculated standard only it was minted from 10.0 grams of 0.9167 fine gold (22 carat) which converts to 0.2948 ounces of gold. At the time of writing the gold content of this coin was worth about US$400 but you can check todays value using our Gold Coin Calculator. The reverse of the coin depicts the famous royal couple, Chuck and Di, using the same design which we talked about in this Chuck and Di 50c coin entry. This design was the one officially endorsed by the Royal Family and used on many coins around the world to celebrate what was arguably the most popular wedding of the 20th Century. Perhaps the wedding of the couple's son Prince William, will be as popular and as well represented on the proposed new RAM Wills and Kate coin.

Minted only in 1981 the Royal Wedding $200 gold coin has the Arnold Machin portrait of the Prince's mother. The Reverse was designed by Stuart Devlin. 77,890 of the coins were minted with an initial issue price of $240.

The current bullion value for the Australian $200 Charles and Diana $200 gold coin is . This value is updated every hour or so using the current gold price and exchange rates from Kitco.

The Australian 50c coin is dodecagonal, a 12 sided shape. It is made from 75% copper and 25% Nickel which is termed Cupro Nickel. It is 31.51m in diameter and weighs 15.55g.

When it was first issued at the change to decimal currency in 1966 it was round and was made from 80% silver but had the same design. The first time this 12 sided shape was issued was 1969.

The design of the Australian Coat of Arms was sculpted by Stuart Devlin. The Coat of Arms displays a shield consisting of six badges representing the 6 Australian states New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Supporting the shield are two native Australian animals the kangaroo and emu. Above is a seven pointed star resting on a wreath, each point representing each state and one point representing the territiories. The background feature is Mitchell Grass.

The dodecagonal standard 50c coins have been issued into circulation for the following years. 1969, 1971-6, 1978-81, 1983-85, 1993, 1996-7, 1999, 2004, 2006-10. Mint set only years are 1986-7, 1989-90, 1992 and 2004. The 2005 Coat of Arms coin was only issued in the World Heritage Sites PNC with a UK 50p coin. See the Coat of Arms design in hyper-metallic colour and selectively gold plated in the 2012 special edition year sets. All other years have been commemorative design issues.

The 50c has been issued with 4 different obverse effigies of Queen Elizabeth II. From 1966-1984 the Arnold Machin obverse was used. From 1985-1998 the Raphael Maklouf design was used. 1999-present the ian-Rank Broadley portrait was used. The 4 portraits can be seen below.

In 2000, just for the Royal Visit 50c a different portrait was used by Australian designer Vladimir Gottwald. This design was a potential replacement for the Maklouf design but the Rank-Broadley design was instead chosen. Royal permission was granted for it's one time use.

The 2005 Remembrance 50c coin shown above was released by the Royal Australian Mint into general circulation. It commemorates the 60th Anniversary of World War II and invites us to remember the sacrifices made by our troops in those times. The RAM also released other issues during the year, a one dollar standing for Peace and a Coming Home 20c, fitting accompaniments to this issue. This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse was designed by RAM sculptor Wojciech Pietranik. It depicts a cemetary and a digger and a priest and mourners, a solemn silent design but a powerful force in remembrance.

Year	Description	Composition	Notes	Mintage
2005	Circulation	Cupro Nickel	Circulation	21,033,000
2005	Uncirculated	Cupro Nickel	Australia Post Baby Keepsake Card	20,000
2005	Uncirculated	Cupro Nickel	Mint Set	71,546
2005	Uncirculated	Cupro Nickel	Baby Mint Set	28,853
2005	Proof	Cupro Nickel	Proof Set	33,520
2005	Proof	Cupro Nickel	Baby Proof Set	12,884
2005	Specimen	Cupro Nickel	Wedding Set	3,627
2005	Proof	99.9% Silver	Fine Silver Year Set	6,200
2005	Proof	99.9% Gold	Gold Set	629

The Royal Australian Mint announced today that it will be minting an official commemorative Australian coin celebrating the Royal engagement of William and Kate.

Prince Charles announced the engagement of his son Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton on the 16th November 2010.

The Mint has kept abreast of all Royal events with past commemorative releases such as The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, Charles and Diana's Wedding 1981 , the Royal Visit in 2000, the 2002 50th anniversary of Accession to the throne, 2003 anniversary of the Queen's coronation, the Queen's 80th birthday in 2006, the 2006 Royal Visit and the 2007 60th Royal Wedding anniversary just to rattle off a few.

The design and release date of this special coin commemorating the engagement is yet to be announced and it's almost certain one for the Royal Wedding will follow.

The 2004 student design 50c coin shown above was released by the Royal Australian Mint into general circulation.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse was designed by 12 year old John Serrano, a year 5 student at St Peter's Primary School in East Keilor Victoria. Vladimir Gottwald took John's design and sculpted into the 3 dimensional design which was used on the dies to strike this coin.

John was the winner of the Mint's Primary School Student Coin Design Competition of which there were just under 2,600 entries. The theme for the design was "Australia". It was the public who determined the winner by voting on the RAM website. John won $10,000 for his school in the competition. It was held following the success of a similar competition in which school children designed the state series of 20c pieces in 2001. His design features a koala, wombat, lorikeet and the initials JS.

The design was originally just for a collector piece but it was later decided to release it into circulation

10,200,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.
36,902 uncirculated coins were issued in an informative card.
8,203 proof coins were struck in 99.9% fine silver.

The 2007 60th Royal Wedding Anniversary 50c coin shown above was released by the Royal Australian Mint as a collector coin not intended for general circulation. This is known as NCLT or non-circulating legal tender.

It commemorates Queen Elizabeth II's 60th Wedding Anniversary to Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. Their wedding took place at Westminster Abbey on 20 November 1947.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g.

The reverse design by Stuart Devlin, goldsmith and jeweller to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II features silhouettes of the couple above a radiant diamond signifying their 60th wedding anniversary. The wording 'Elizabeth and Philip 60th Wedding Anniversary Fifty Cents" is depicted around. The design is surrounded by sixty royal trumpets.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

60,030 of these uncirculated coins were issued in the card shown above.

The 2008 Scouting 50c coin shown above was released by the Royal Australian Mint as a collector coin not intended for general circulation. This is known as NCLT or non-circulating legal tender.

It commemorates 100 years of the Scouting movement and the theme was accompanied with a $1 coin released into circulation.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g.

The reverse design by Caitlin Goodall features the Scout Spirit Flame and if you look closely it depicts several Scouts enjoying their activities. The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

54,571 of these coins were issued in the card shown above.
33,002 PNC's were also issued in a joint Australia Post-Royal Australian Mint release.

The 2008 Australia II 50c coin shown above was released by the Royal Australian Mint as a collector coin not intended for general circulation. This is known as NCLT or non-circulating legal tender.

It commemorates 25 years since Australia II's America's Cup victory in 1983. This victory was attributed to the famous Lexcen-designed winged keel and ended the USA's 132 year winning streak in this sporting event.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g.

The reverse design by Caitlin Goodall features the vessel Australia II riding the waves with the special keel showing below the waters' surface. The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

32,916 of these coins were issued in the card shown below which is specially designed to fold into the shape of the winged keel.

The 2003 Volunteers 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

It commemorates the hard work and commitments of Australia's Volunteers within the community. The theme was Australia's Volunteers -Making a difference. In 2003 there was 4.4 million people around the country volunteering their time and services in varying activities.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. Other coins released commemorating this theme for 2003 was an aluminium bronze one dollar into circulation.

The reverse design by Vladimir Gottwald features these tireless workers in their volunteering activities. The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

13,927,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.
80,512 mint sets were produced which included this coin in uncirculated condition.
39,090 proof coins can be found in the proof year set.
37,748 uncirculated coins in the baby mint set
14,799 proof coins in the Koala baby proof sets
6,500 were issued in the fine silver year sets in 99.9% fine silver.
3,249 specimen examples can be found in the 2003 wedding sets.

The Year of the Outback or Windmill 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

It commemorates 2002 as 'Year of the Outback' promoting the vast expanses of barren land the Australian Outback. It raised community awareness of the land and our heritage bringing together Australians and their powerful national spirit. Many events were held and school children studied the Australian landscape and features promoting awareness of the country.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2002 other coins were issued promoting the Year of the Outback including a one dollar and a $5 silver proof.

The reverse design by Wojciech Pietranik features a windmill. This iconic outback feature that stands guard over our precious water supplies can be likened to the Hills Hoist that can be found in every Australian backyard. The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

11,507,000 of these coins were issued into circulation. 68,752 Mint Sets were produced which included this coin in uncirculated condition. 39,514 proof coins can be found in the proof year sets.

The Centenary of Federation 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 series commemorating 100 years of Federation released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features the Australian Coat of Arms. This Coat of Arms consists of a shield depicting the badges of the six Australian States. Aside the shield are a Red Kangaroo and Emu. These animals symbolise a nation moving forward. Above the shield is a seven pointed star on a wreath, each point representing the 6 States and one for the Territories. Below are sprays of Golden Wattle and 'Australia' in a scroll.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series which includes 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

43,149,600 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

21,040 uncirculated coins were released included in incomplete 20 coin sets
13,000 proof coins were released in incomplete 20 coin sets
These sets were released with the Centenary of Federation one dollar and the 20c for NSW and 50c National Issue and for NSW. It was up to collectors to purchase each other State's coin to compete the sets.

The proof version found in the 2001 Australian Proof sets was a coloured coin and there were 59,569 of these sets produced.

90,822 Mint Sets were also produced which included this coin in uncirculated condition.

When Australia changed to decimal currency in 1966 the 50c was originally round in shape and was made of 80% silver. It was quickly withdrawn from circulation as the value of the silver content exceeded it's face value. In 1969 the new 50c piece had changed it's shape to the 12 sided dodecahedron that we see in our change today.

To mark the 40th anniversary in 2006 of our transition to decimalisation in Australia the Royal Australian Mint has revisited our original 50c in shape and composition. Included in the Eight Coin Proof Sets issued for 2006 was this 31.51mm round 50 cent made from 80% silver and 20% copper. It weighs slightly less than it's dodecagonal cousins at 13.28grams. This proof set also included 2006 strikes of the 1c and 2c pieces that were also removed from circulation. 45,373 of these sets were minted.

This 2006 round silver 50c features the original standard Coat of Arms depicted by Stuart Devlin. The obverse features the standard 2006 obverse by Ian Rank-Broadley.

The Proof Fine Silver Set (5,829 minted) for 2006 also included this round design in 99.9% pure silver.

1998 commemorated 200 years since the voyage of George Bass and Matthew Flinders which proved that Tasmania was an island. This voyage in 1798 in the sailing boat the "Norfolk", Bass and Flinders circumnavigated the island of Tasmania establishing that it was in fact separated from the main part of Australia, this body of water they named Bass Strait.

This dodecagonal (12 sided) 31.51mm copper (75%) nickel (25%) coin weighs in at 15.55 grams with a plain edge. The reverse design consists of portraits of Bass and Flinders, a map and a depiction of the route they took. It was designed by Royal Australian Mint designer Vladimir Gottwald. The standard obverse features the Raphael Maklouf portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

22,426,000 of these coins were issued into circulation. It was included in the Mint set for 1998 of which 74,108 were issued and the proof set with a mintage of 32,225. The commemorative issue was also included in the baby mint (31,810) and baby proof sets (5,269) for 1998.

It was also released in specimen quality in a PNC jointly with Australia Post of which there was a mintage of 85,004. 3,000 of these were released at the Sydney ANDA show Oct 30, 31 and Nov 1 (1,000 each day) with a differing postmark.

1995 marked the 50th Anniversary of the end of WWII. It was at this time that Australian Prisoners of War (POW's) being held by the Japanese were released. This coin release into circulation commemorates the life of Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop and his extraordinary spirit and the measures he took to unselfishly help his fellow soldiers and patients.

Sir Edward Weary Dunlop was a surgeon in the Australian Army during World War II. In March 1942 Weary and his troops were captured by the Japanese and put to work to build the Burma-Siam railway, a feat over over 400 kilometres. He commanded a force of over a thousand POW men and his courage, compassion and dedication often kept them alive. Sir Dunlop was knighted in 1969 and passed away in 1993 at the age of 85.

This dodecagonal (12 sided) 31.51mm copper (75%) nickel (25%) coin weighs in at 15.55 grams with a plain edge. The reverse depicts Sir Edward Weary Dunlop and barbed wire representing his time in the POW camp. It was designed by Louis Laumen along with RAM designer Horst Hahne. The standard obverse features the Raphael Maklouf portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

15,869,200 of these coins were issued into circulation. It was also released in a PNC jointly with Australia Post of which there was a mintage of 154,641. It was included in the Mint set for 1995 of which 96,079 were issued and the proof set with a mintage of 48,537.

This 50c was also restruck in 2003 (still with 1995 date) for inclusion in a private issue commemorating the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps Centenary packaged with a medallion.

The Norfolk Island 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for the Territory released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features the Norfolk Island Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. The Coat of Arms symbolises the Queen's constitutional authority in the state. This Coat of Arms features a Norfolk Pine growing on a rocky mound with a book (almost certainly the Bible) inside the shield with two 5-pointed stars representing the Coats of Arms of Australia, New South Wales and that of Captain James Cook who discovered Norfolk Island in 1774. Supporting the shield are Britain's Lion and Australia's Kangaroo holding Naval anchors. The Lion above a Naval Crown holds a covered cup. In the banner 'Inasmuch' is taken from the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament (chapter 25.40).

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,000,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

6,200 3 coin uncirculated sets
3,750 3 coin proof sets

15,900 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,024 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

The New South Wales 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for NSW released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features the New South Wales Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. The Coat of Arms symbolises the Queen's constitutional authority in the state. This Coat of Arms comprises of a shield featuring the State badge which is blazoned with the cross of St George and four eight pointed stars representing the Southern Cross together with the lion of England. Each corner depicts golden fleece and sheaves of wheat symbolising agriculture. The shield is supported by a lion and a kangaroo. Above the shield, a rising sun crest represents the newly rising country and rests on a wreath. The Latin motto 'Orta recens quam pura nites' meaning 'Newly risen how brightly you shine' is depicted in a banner below supporting the kangaroo and lion.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

3,042,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

17,593 3 coin uncirculated sets
9,923 3 coin proof sets

21,040 uncirculated coins were released included in incomplete 20 coin sets
13,000 proof coins were released in incomplete 20 coin sets
These sets were released with the Centenary of Federation one dollar and the 20c for NSW and 50c National Issue and for NSW. It was up to collectors to purchase each other State's coin to compete the sets.

The Queensland 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for Qld released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features the Queensland Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. The Coat of Arms symbolises the Queen's constitutional authority in the state. This Coat of Arms comprises of a shield featuring a sheaf of wheat, the heads of a bull and ram (representing primary industry) and a column of gold on a mound of quartz representing mining. Supporting the shield are a Brolga (the State bird -representing native-born Queenslanders) and a Red Deer (symbolising the contributions of migrants from the UK and Europe). Atop of the shield sits a helmet and the Maltese Cross super-imposed with a Royal Crown framed by two stalks of sugar cane. A banner sits below the Coat of Arms showing the State's Latin motto 'Audax at Fidelis' meaning 'Bold but Faithful'

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,320,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

13,050 3 coin uncirculated sets
5,668 3 coin proof sets

20,190 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,242 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

The South Australian 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for S.A released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features the South Australian Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. This Coat of Arms features the State name on an ornate scroll that overlays a collage of symbols of the agricultural and industrial base of which the State was founded. A shield with the State Badge, the Piping Shrike sits upon a grassy mound. Above the shield is a wreath which protrudes four sprigs of the Sturt's Desert Pea, the State's floral emblem

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,400,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

4,782 3 coin uncirculated sets
3,625 3 coin proof sets

12,260 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,179 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

The Australian Capital Territory 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for the ACT released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features the ACT Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. This Coat of Arms features a castle representing the National Capital with the sword of justice and mace of the Australian Parliament intersecting above, inside the shield. Below the shield is the Rose of York commemorating the role the Duke of York played in the opening of Parliament on 1 May 1927. Above the shield sits a gate and crown representing the heritage from the Westminster system of government. Behind the gate is a gum tree representing the growth of the 'bush capital'. Beside the shield stands a pair of swans, one black and the other white representing Aboriginal and European people. Below, the city's motto appears in a banner "For the Queen, the Law and the People".

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,000,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

14,714 3 coin uncirculated sets
5,516 3 coin proof sets

21,145 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,244 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

The Victorian 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for Victoria released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features Victoria's Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. This Coat of Arms features the State shield supported by two female figures representing Peace and Prosperity -the state's motto. The figure representing Prosperity holds a horn of plenty symbolising rich harvests and the other an olive branch, a known symbol of Peace. The shield features the five stars of the Southern Cross. A wreath above the shield supports the torso of a kangaroo holding the Royal Crown. At the base of the shield, the state's floral emblem Common Pink Heath sits.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,000,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

14,499 3 coin uncirculated sets
5,777 3 coin proof sets

18,643 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,147 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

The Tasmanian 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for Tasmania released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features Tasmania's Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. This Coat of Arms features two Tasmanian Tigers supporting the shield. These marsupials were common in Tasmania at the time of European settlement but are now believed to be extinct. Inside the shield are symbols of Tasmania's industry -hops, a sheaf of wheat, a ram, apples and a thunderbolt representing Tasmania's hydro-electric power scheme. A passant (walking) lion stands proud above the shield holding a pick and shovel representing the states mining. The latin motto "Ubertas et Fidelitas" meaning Fruitfulness and Faithfulness appears in a banner at the base of the Coat of Arms.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,160,006 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

4,052 3 coin uncirculated sets
2,802 3 coin proof sets

11,582 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,192 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

The Western Australia 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for Western Australia released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features Western Australia's Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. This Coat of Arms features Aboriginal motifs in the central shield. In the middle of the shield is the figure of a woman flanked by stylised motifs representing campsites. The shield is supported by two Red Kangaroos each holding a sea shell. The floral emblem for the Northern Territory, the Sturt's Desert Rose is at their feet. The faunal emblem, the Wedge-tailed Eagle is perched above the shield holding a tjurunga stone, an Aboriginal carved stone. Below this is a helmet, a reminder that Northern Territory was an area of wartime battle.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,000,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

3,970 3 coin uncirculated sets
2,985 3 coin proof sets

11,527 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,199 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

A week or so ago we wrote about our experience in approaching those shopping mall kiosks offering to buy unwanted gold or broken gold jewellery. If you missed it, see our article Selling Gold -it pays to shop around. It's amusing to note that in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald a similar story has been published outing these unscrupulous buyers. Catch up on their article here.

The Northern Territory 50c coin shown above is a circulation 50c coin in the 2001 State Series for the Northern Territory released by the Royal Australian Mint and can be found in your change.

The reverse design features the Northern Territory's Coat of Arms, representing one of 9 states and territories that make up Australia. This Coat of Arms features Aboriginal motifs in the central shield. In the middle of the shield is the figure of a woman flanked by stylised motifs representing campsites. The shield is supported by two Red Kangaroos each holding a sea shell. The floral emblem for the Northern Territory, the Sturt's Desert Rose is at their feet. The faunal emblem, the Wedge-tailed Eagle is perched above the shield holding a tjurunga stone, an Aboriginal carved stone. Below this is a helmet, a reminder that Northern Territory was an area of wartime battle.

This 50c is the standard 31.51mm dodecagonal coin with plain edging. It is copper nickel weighing 15.55g. In 2001 there were many coins released into circulation commemorating the Centenary of Federation including a one dollar coin, 50c and 20c issues. This is just one in a series of 9 fifty cent coins depicting each state and territory of Australia that were joined together in 1901 at Australia's Federation.

The obverse of this coin is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

2,000,000 of these coins were issued into circulation.

Mintages of this coin in other sets can be seen below:

3,970 3 coin uncirculated sets
2,985 3 coin proof sets

11,852 2 coins issued for inclusion in 21,040 pre-purchased unc 20 coin sets
10,182 2 coins issued for inclusion in 13,000 pre-purchased proof 20 coin sets

2009 was the 40th anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon and to celebrate this the Royal Australian Mint issued a NCLT 50c for collectors. It was July 21st 1969 when the world sat glued to their television sets watching vision streamed from the Parkes radio telescope. 600 million viewers watched and listened to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin taking their first steps on the moon thanks to the Apollo 11 space mission. This dodecagonal (12 sided) 31.51mm copper (75%) nickel (25%) coin weighs in at 15.55 grams with a plain edge.

The reverse depicts the Lunar Module on the moon with the Earth and stars above. It is pad printed with black paint to depict space giving the perspective of opposing skyscapes as though you are looking out the cockpit window of the orbiting Command Module. It was designed by RAM designer Caitlin Goodall. The standard obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

43,149 of these uncirculated coins were issued by the Royal Australian Mint

Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 80th birthday in 2006 with many special events and activities. In the month prior to her birthday on 21st April, she had travelled to Australia for a visit which included opening the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. A commemorative 50c was issued for the occasion of this special milestone, her 80th birthday. The coin was minted as a NCLT issue (not for circulation in an informative purple card (seen above) for $4.95.

The reverse designed by Stuart Devlin depicts a ring of British flags around "ER" which means Elizabeth Regina, the word regina being latin for Queen. The majestic crown with 80 behind completes the coin design. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. This issue is a 31.51mm dodecagonal 50c of copper nickel weighing 15.55g

This coin was issued in uncirculated condition as shown above and also as a selectively gold plated silver proof in a 2-coin set with the other Royal issue of 2006 which was another 50c commemorating the Royal visit to Australia. 28,191 of the uncirculated coins were minted and 6,098 of the gold plated proofs.

Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Australia in 2006 to open the Melbourne Commonwealth Games on March the 15th. Her first visit to Australia was in 1954 which was marked with the release of a special commemorative Australian florin. In 2006 it was a NCLT 50c to celebrate the occasion of her visit. The coin was issued as a collector piece and not released into circulation in an informative purple card (seen above) for $4.95.

The reverse designed by Stuart Devlin depicts images of Australia and the world surrounded by a ring of majestic crowns with a small 50 at the top. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. This issue is a 31.51mm dodecagonal 50c of copper nickel weighing 15.55g

This coin was issued in uncirculated condition as shown above and also as a selectively gold plated silver proof in a 2-coin set with the other Royal issue of 2006 which is another 50c commemorating the Queen's 80th birthday. 28,593 of the uncirculated coins were minted and 6,098 of the gold plated proofs.

Visiting the Royal Australian Mint is always a pleasure and they often surprise visitors with new displays and exhibitions. On our recent visit we noted a few new errors that didn't escape the Mint and remain captive in their First Floor museum.

Errors seen on our last visit can be seen in a previous article.

The 50c coin below remains in the collar die. A press malfunction resulted in 2 blanks being fed in at once and the increased load has shattered the tungsten carbide collar.

Below is a Ramstrike 50c error similar to error coins we've spoken about before. The mis-alignment of the blank in the collar has superimposed a new set of corners or lugs on the coin.

Below a poorly cut blank has been struck resulting in an incomplete coin. This can be caused by a fault when the blanks are cut at the factory in South Korea. There are many different types of these errors that we've outlined in our error coin index.

Thank you to the RAM for displaying these errors in your museum.

The Royal Australian Mint dusted off their mobile coin press for use that Canberra ANDA Coin show held at Exhibition park in Canberra on the weekend or 6/7 November 2010. This press was last seen used at ANDA shows in 2008 and has had a recent "pretty up" for the show. Technicians at the show explained it's new blue paint job was especially for the occasion.

Coins are brought to the venue housed individually in HDPE hard plastic pages. They are pre-struck with the coin design but are missing the mintmark. Here each coin is placed into the press and aligned so the mintmark can be applied by the press and will always be in the desired spot. The press door is closed by the RAM technician and visitors can press the black button to activate the pneumatic press. The coin is then removed, checked and placed into it's accompanying folder.

The coin available at this show was the C Counterstamp 100 years of Australian coinage one dollar for $10 each.

As far as collectors have been told the Royal Australian Mint has no plans to continue the use of the portable press at any other coin shows. It would be such as shame not to see it again.

Saturday the 6th November 2010 saw the Royal Australian Mint launch it's 2011 "Making it memorable" mint products range at a special free breakfast on the lawns outside the Bundawang pavilion Exhibition park in Canberra. The breakfast was shared between 8am and 10am on Saturday before doors opened to the Canberra ANDA show where the Mint had a display, shop, and portable press.

The coin launch was celebrated with an enormous Mob of Roos one dollar cake (seen above) approx. 1m in diameter. It remained on show beneath a perspex cover for the morning and was transferred to the Visitor Gallery at the RAM later in the day. Breakfast attendees were given slices of a substitute cake as it would have seemed a shame to eat such a magnificent piece.

Few people gathered for the breakfast, I wouldn't say a large crowd as there was never much wait for the mini pancakes offered with strawberries and ice cream or the coffee and hot chocolates available. Waiters wandered with champagne and fruit kebabs.

RAM CEO Mr Ross MacDiarmid spoke and unveiled the 2011 gift products now available for purchase. These included the 2011 Wedding Set, Baby Sets, Year Sets and the 2 coin sets Riding on the Sheeps back issues.

Visitors were given a "showbag" containing the Mint Issue magazine, a copy of the publication "Coins & Currency in Canberra", a fridge magnet, RAM pencil and RAM mints (yes, there were many Mint mints jokes). The showbag also included a voucher for half price entry to the ANDA show and a 5% off discount voucher for purchases made at the Mint Shop (note: not at the show). A draw was conducted giving away some coinwatch products to 3 lucky breakfast attendees.

Overall a great time was had catching up with other collectors in a relaxed atmosphere and also getting to speak with RAM staff. And it wasn't a freezing cold Canberra morning so that was a bonus!

This C Counterstamped standard one dollar coin commemorates 100 years of Australian Coinage in 2010. It is the mintmark dollar coin for 2010 and has already released with various mintmarks and privymarks in uncirculated aluminium bronze and proof silver. These issues have been outlined in the 2010 Issues and Mintages table where you can see at a glance the mintages of each issue.

This release is a C Counterstamp featuring a raised C within an incuse circular surround. The mintmark was applied to pre-struck coins at the mobile coin press at the ANDA show in Canberra on November 6th and 7th 2010. Here visitors were able to press the button on the portable press to strike their own coin for $10 each. This is a whopping increase on the $2.75 issue price of mobile press coins which were last seen at ANDA coin shows in 2008.

The coin features the standard Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the reverse design of the 4 monarchs is by Vladimir Gottwald. It is a standard 9 gram, 25mm aluminium bronze dollar issued in uncirculated quality. 4,970 of these special show issue portable press coins were struck overseen by Royal Australian Mint technicians at the RAM stand at the ANDA show. The folder housing the coin is seen below and specially states "2010 Canberra ANDA Show Special One Dollar 'C' Canberra Counterstamp"

We were lucky enough to attend our third ANDA Coin and Banknote show of 2010 in Canberra this weekend (the 6th and 7th of November). After attending the Melbourne ANDA and the Sydney ANDA it was something of a relief to go to the show in Canberra as it's virtually around the corner being only 2 hours away by car as opposed to a flight or a half day drive. The show itself was held at Exhibition Park in the Bundawang Pavilion, an easy 10 minute drive north of the CBD. Parking was plentiful and the pavilion spacious and equipped with a cafeteria and all the other required amenities.

We arrived a couple of hours early on the Saturday of the show to attend the free breakfast put on by the Royal Australian Mint (which we'll write about in another entry). Once we were done gorging ourselves on tax payer funded munchies we lined up and entered the show at 5 minutes past 10 in the morning. The first thing we noted upon entry was that only half the pavilion was being used and even that was only about two thirds full. The number of dealers in attendance was a little disappointing. Kudos to those who did attend, those hardy souls included Downies, IAG, Monetarium Adelaide, The Rare Coin Co., Edlins, Prospect Stamps and Coins, Steele Waterman Coins, the RAM, the Perth Mint, Coin Club Australia, Coinsearch.com, JPW Coins, and Sterling and Currency. A couple of empty stands were explained by the sudden illness of one Melbourne dealer and the editor of the Australian Coin and Banknote magazine. We hope they both recover soon!

Attendance for the first few hours of the show was strong, but most of those visitors were queued up at the RAM portable press to mint their own dollars. Because of this we had an easy time finding seats at dealers tables to peruse their stock books. Other keen collectors seemed to be enjoying the relaxed atmosphere as much as we did. If other coin hunters like us tired of looking at coins then they were entertained by ANDA as they held their usual hourly prize draws. Alternatively show attendees could sit in on 3 or 4 informational seminars a day delivered by industry luminaries, these seminars were also held at the other ANDA shows we've written about this year.

The Perth Mint and the Royal Australian Mint were both in attendance with a show special or two. The RAM resurrected the portable press for the show and this was THE major draw card for the first day of the show. With the counter-stamped 100 Years of Australian Coinage dollar and the C mint mark silver proof dollar of the same type collectors of shiny NCLT couldn't have been any happier. It was also the first opportunity that many people would have had to purchase the rather spiffy new 2011 Ashes 20c.

Overall we enjoyed the show. The lower number of dealers in attendance was disappointing and we only ended up visiting the show for one day instead of the planned two days simply because we'd looked at everyone's stock on the first day. Still, the whole show had a friendly relaxed feel to it and it was nice to sit a dealers table and have the time to look through their material properly and be able to ask questions without constantly being interrupted and bumped! We look forward to another show being held in Canberra in the near future.

If you've been collecting coins for a little while then you'll be well aware that there's a third, and much neglected side of each coin, the edge. Those glory hounds, the obverse and reverse of a coin garner almost all the attention when a coin is examined closely while the edge is sadly ignored. This is despite coin edges containing interesting design features like continuous reeding, interrupted reeding, incuse lettering, relief lettering, and decorative anti clipping designs such as those found on Spanish Colonial 8 reales. This neglected third side of a coin has been pushed to the background even further with the advent of third party grading and slabbing where often the edge is obscured totally by the holder.

The Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC) came to the party a few years ago with their EDGEVIEW?? holder, with each coin held in place by three white plastic prongs. These holders don't have a lot good said about them due to the amount of coin that they obscure, especially on smaller coins. In some interesting news it looks like PCGS is reviving their pronged edge visible holder (which you can see an image of above). This holder was first seen in 2007 and apparently hasn't made a re-appearance since then, that is until the recent opening of the PCGS grading office in Paris, France. It appears that some coins graded in this office in the last month or two are appearing in these holders. The retaining method these holders utilise is a similar three prong arrangement to the NGC holder but PCGS have used a largely colourless polymer that is similar to the soft grommet they use in their regular holders to retain the coin. It certainly appears to be a more attractive holder than the NGC item.

We'll try to get one of these holders for closer examination and post up our findings as they become available.

Arriving shortly included with your November Mint Issue magazine Royal Australian Mint customers have the opportunity to enter a ballot draw to purchase a 2011 Kangaroo at Sunset $25 Gold Proof coin at issue price of $420. A stunning design by Wojciech Pietranik this issue has been hugely popular in recent years the RAM having to conduct a ballot to distribute the 998 coins (of a 1,000 mintage) available to collectors.

Potential buyers have to have been a registered RAM customer as of 30th September 2010 and receive their ballot contained within the November Mint Issue magazine. The ballot must be filled in and returned to the RAM (in a separate envelope if placing an order as well) by close of business November 22 2010 to be entered into the ballot draw. This draw will take place on November 26th at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra. The fine print excludes more than one ballot entry per customer.

This gold proof will be the 5th in the series first issued in 2007. We've written previously about the 2009 Gold proof Kangaroo at Sunset $25 and the 2010 ballot issue coin.

With the issue price the same as last years release this issue will prove popular with collectors so get your ballot in early and fingers crossed.

This guide gives a complete list of Australian 50 cent coins issued to date including links to and article on each different Australian 50c coin design. We've also written an article about 50 cent coin values in 2009 and revisited the 50 cent coin value topic again in 2012. The 1966 Round 50 cent Coin coin is always a subject that interests collectors new and old and we've written some articles on how much round 50 cent coins are worth.

The 1966 Round 50 cent Coin

1966 Round 50 cent Coin

The Round 50 cent revisited

The round 50 cent coin was also minted in 2006 for the 2006 RAM proof set and again in 2010 for the very limited 2010 Heritage Set. The value of these Australian 50 cent pieces is considerably different to that of the 1966 round 50 cent.

2006 Round 50 cent
2010 Round 50 cent

The standard Coat of Arms dodecagonal 50c

The standard dodecagonal Coat of Arms 50 cent 50c
1969 Specimen 50 cent 50c
2005 COA 50c in World Heritage Sites PNC
2009 Gold 50 cent 50c
2012 Special Edition Hyper-Metallic and Selectively Gold Plated 50 cent 50c

Australian Commemorative 50 cent Issues

1970 Captain Cook 50 cent 50c
1977 Silver Jubilee 50 cent 50c
1981 Charles and Diana 50 cent 50c
1982 Commonwealth Games Brisbane 50 cent 50c
1988 First Fleet Bicentenary 50 cent 50c
1991 25th Anniversary of Decimal Currency 50 cent 50c
1994 Year of the Family 50 cent 50c
1995 Weary Dunlop 50 cent 50c
1998 Bass and Flinders 50 cent 50c
2000 Millennium 50 cent 50c
2000 Royal Visit 50 cent 50c
2001 Centenary of Federation 50 cent 50c

2001 State Series 50 cent - 9 coins

• 2001 Centenary of Federation New South Wales 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation Australian Capital Territory 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation Queensland 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation Victoria 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation Norfolk Island 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation Northern Territory 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation Western Australia 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation South Australia 50 cent 50c
• 2001 Centenary of Federation Tasmania 50 cent 50c

2002 Year of the Outback 50 cent 50c
2002 50th Anniversary of Accession 50 cent 50c
2003 Australia's Volunteers 50 cent 50c
2003 50th Anniversary of Coronation 50 cent 50c
2004 Student Design 50 cent 50c
2005 60th Anniversary of WWII Remembrance 50 cent 50c
2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games 50c dated 2005 secondary school student design comp.

2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games 50c -16 coins

• 2006 Basketball 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Hockey 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Shooting 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Weightlifting 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Badminton 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Gymnastics 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Rugby Sevens 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Cycling 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Athletics 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Triathlon 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Netball 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Table Tennis 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Aquatics 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Boxing 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Lawn Bowls 50 cent 50c
• 2006 Squash 50 cent 50c

2006 Queen's 80th Birthday 50 cent 50c
2006 Royal Visit 50 cent 50c
2007 Royal Diamond 60th Wedding Anniversary50 cent 50c
2008 Scouting Centenary 50 cent 50c
2008 Australia II Victory 50 cent 50c
2009 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing 50 cent 50c
2010 Australia Day 50 cent 50c
2010 150th Anniversary of the Melbourne Cup 50 cent 50c
2010 Royal Engagement 50 cent 50c
2011 60th Anniversary of National Service 50 cent 50c
2011 Royal Wedding 50 cent 50 cent
2011 50 Years of Triple Zero Emergency Call Service 50 cent
2012 The Royal Diamond Jubilee (Stuart Devlin) 50 cent
2012 Bombing of Australia 1942 Impact Zone (Shores Under Siege Set) 50 cent
2012 The Queen's Diamond Jubilee 50 cent (Michael Meszaros) (silver and gold proofs only)
2012 70th Anniversary of the Kokoda Trail 50 cent
2012 50th Anniversary of the Australian Ballet 50 cent
2013 50th Anniversary of Surfing Australia 50 cent
2013 50 Years of the Bathurst Endurance Race 50 cent
2013 100 Years of Commonwealth Stamps 50 cent (also in PNC)
2013 100 Years of Commonwealth Stamps 50 cent M Counterstamp (in Stamp Expo PNC)
2013 Centenary of Australian Banknotes (in 2 coin set)
2013 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 50 cent
2013 Royal Baby 50 cent
2014 AIATSIS 50th Anniversary of Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Studies coloured 50c
Australia at War subscription program part of the Anzac Centenary Coin Program
18 coins over 3 years, the first 3 coins issued 2/6/14
2014 Battle of Cocos 50c
2014 German New Guinea 50c
2014 Boer War coloured 50 cent

A little while back we waxed lyrical about the comeback tour of the portable press at the up-coming 2010 Canberra ANDA Coin and Banknote Show which is being held (funnily enough) in Canberra on the weekend of the 6th and 7th of November. Well, not only can collectors get excited about this they can also get excited by the mouth watering prospect of a free breakfast which is being put on the Royal Australian Mint out the front of the ANDA show venue (the Bundawong Pavilion at Exhibition Park) from 8:00AM to 10:00AM on the Saturday of the show. While the good folk at the RAM are plying everyone with free food they are going to take the chance to launch their 2011 coin gift set range and hope that we dip into our pockets and buy up big.

So if you're going to come along to the show (which opens at 10:00AM) you may as well turn up a little early, get stuck into the free brekkie and pick up your 2011 mint and proof sets at the same time. It seems a shame to let free government funded food go to waste!

Released on 6th November 2010 this 2011 dated commemorative 20c is a stunning coin by the Royal Australian Mint. An NCLT release meaning this coin won't be seen in circulation it commemorates the 2010/11 The Ashes test series cricket. The test will be played on Australian shores in Brisbane 25-29 November and is an integral part of the Australian summer cricket calendar. England currently hold the Ashes Urn so it is hoped victory will again be claimed on Australian soil as it was in the 06/07 test.

Victory in the 06/07 test saw coin releases by the RAM also. A 2007 The Ashes one dollar and a limited PNC release which has proved extremely popular.

The design by RAM coin engraver Wojciech Pietranik is simple yet effective depicting the cricket ball. The coin is the ball! It brings a new third dimension to coin design and shows off Wojciech's skill in sculpture. The obverse still depicts the standard Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II in miniature as if it were the branding on the ball.

The coin is the standard 20c size 28.52mm in diameter weighing 11.3g made from Cupro Nickel (75% copper and 25% Nickel). It is released in an informative card for $6.95.

It has also been released in a commemorative PNC for the 2010/11 Ashes Tour by Australia Post for $19.95 with a limited edition of 20,000 covers.

The Royal Australian Mint has just released their 2009/2010 annual report (which you can find here) and this has allowed one of the hard-working blog authors (not me thank goodness) to update our comprehensive Australian Dollar Coin mintage tables with the latest figures. As you'd expect the 2010 Australian Dollar Coin Mintages and 2009 Australian Dollar Coin Mintages saw the most action, but we also saw the 2008 Australian Dollar Coin Mintages refusing to slip quietly into the pages of history by having some minor changes too. One mintage of note which was noticed was the 2009 Land Series Frilled Neck Lizard Dollar with a small mintage of just 2,690 coins. However this might be an error or there may end being some more minted similar to some of the 2008 Land Series dollars which were minted in 2009/2010 for a corporate order. In any event it might be worth acquiring a few of this dollar coin just in case it really does have such a low mintage.

Have you been to the Shopping Centre and noticed companies with kiosks or stands in the walkways buying unwanted or broken gold jewellery and bullion? Being coin collectors we are avid watchers of gold and silver bullion prices so these kiosks have stood out to us. They don't advertise their pricing and we've not been game to ask....until curiosity got the better. It seems so convenient, in your face as you wander the shops you might think about that broken necklace or best-left-forgotten engagement ring that never led you down the aisle sitting in your jewellery box. Is it really worth something, do I need the cash today? These companies will buy your gold and jewellery whether it be broken or just unwanted or maybe a gold coin that you want to sell. They will assay the gold to determine it's fineness and weigh it and pay you cash, sound like a good idea?

We've done what you weren't game to do and that was ask what they are paying for our much loved gold. On the day in November 2010 we asked at this particular kiosk if they'd buy a 1 ounce gold nugget and what would they pay. Ok, for starters they buy per gram and they weren't knowledgeable in the weight translation so they bombed out there. We certainly knew that our 1 troy oz nugget weighed 31.1grams and was 24carat .999 fineness gold so we relayed this and here's the facts:

They would pay us: $585 for our 31.1g of 24carat gold nugget

The gold price for that day was: $1389USD
The conversion based on the exchange rate of that day was: $1380AUD

So, they are paying us 42.4% of the value of our gold. Think it's a good deal now?

Now not to tar everyone with the same brush other bullion trading companies and jewellers are very open and list their pricing updated daily on their websites. Checking these prices today they are paying over double what these shopping centre kiosks pay. These kiosks are out to get you, don't be caught!!

If you have a gold coin and want to check today's bullion value for it, have a look at our gold coin calculator.