2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 Coin
The 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 is a circulating $2 coin with 2.88 million made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2016
- Circulation mintage
- 2,880,000
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 worth?
Collectors pay a small premium for the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 (2.88 million made), especially in uncirculated condition. On colored coins the paint has to be intact: a worn or chipped color panel cuts the premium sharply. Well circulated examples sit close to face value.
What would make yours worth more:
- Intact, unworn color
- Uncirculated condition
- Original card or collector folder
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 rare?
- It is scarcer than most $2 coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 coins were made?
- 2,880,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 made of?
- Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel). It weighs 6.6 g and measures 20.5 mm.
- Is the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 still legal tender?
- Yes. Every $2 coin, colored commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 was made
Australia switched from pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents on 14 February 1966. The changeover was a huge public campaign and the new coins and notes quickly replaced the old pre-decimal money in everyday use. The changeover was promoted with a jingle and a cartoon character called Dollar Bill. Fifty years later, in 2016, the Royal Australian Mint marked the anniversary with a special $2 coin among several issues celebrating the milestone.
The circulation mintage was 2,880,000, one of the bigger totals for a $2 commemorative of the period and well under the 12.9 million regular $2 coins of the same year. What sets this release apart is its link back to the pre-decimal era, with a crown design from before 1966 noted on the obverse side. It came out in a year packed with special $2 coins, including the Rio Olympic and Paralympic designs, so many people didn't realize it was a commemorative at all. The $2 coin itself did not exist in 1966: the denomination was a note until 1988.
How to recognize it
Because this release differs from the regular coin on the obverse side, a quick glance at the reverse is not enough to identify it. Check both sides and look for the pre-decimal crown design noted for this issue, then compare your coin with a reference picture of the regular 2016 $2. The date should read 2016 and the portrait of the Queen is Ian Rank-Broadley's, with IRB under the neck. The coin keeps the standard $2 size of 20.5 mm, a weight of 6.6 g and the aluminum bronze alloy. If yours looks exactly like a regular 2016 coin on both sides, it's the regular issue.
2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 by the numbers
In mintage terms the 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 ranks 9th lowest of 13 commemorative $2 releases with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2015 In Flanders Fields $2 (2.15 million); the next more common is the 2018 Eternal Flame $2 (3.4 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2016 Rio Olympics $2 with 10 million, about 3.5 times as many. The scarcest is the 2012 Remembrance Day Red Poppy $2 with 500,000, 5.8 times fewer than this one.
It was released in 2016 alongside 3 other circulating $2 coin designs: the Rio Paralympics (2 million), the Rio Olympics (10 million) and the 2016 Australian $2 (12.9 million). 1 of them had a smaller run.
What to check on your 2016 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2
- Confirm the design: 50 Years of Decimal Currency dated 2016, with the colored panel (Pre-decimal Crown on obverse).
- Never clean a colored coin. Rubbing or solvents strip the color, which is most of what collectors are paying for.
- Check the edge: Australian $2 coins have interrupted milling, with sections of reeding separated by smooth gaps.
- Weigh it if you are unsure: a genuine $2 coin weighs 6.6 g and is 20.5 mm across.
With 2,880,000 made, this coin is scarcer than any regular $2 of its decade but more common than most other colored commemoratives. Circulated examples usually stay close to face value, while sharp uncirculated coins can bring a small premium. Collectors who follow the 50th anniversary of decimal currency often keep it with the other coins issued for the milestone. As with any coin carrying added color or special detail, don't clean it, since that removes the very feature that makes it different.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 dollars |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2016 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,880,000 |
| Composition | Aluminum bronze (92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 6.6 g |
| Diameter | 20.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Interrupted milling |
| Colors | Pre-decimal Crown on obverse |
Other 2016 $2 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Australian $2 Coin | 12,900,000 | Face value |
| 2016 Rio Olympics $2 Coin | 10,000,000 | Face value |
| 2016 Rio Paralympics $2 Coin | 2,000,000 | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
When did Australia change to decimal currency?
Australia adopted dollars and cents on 14 February 1966, replacing pounds, shillings and pence. The 2016 $2 coin was one of several Royal Australian Mint issues marking fifty years since that changeover.
How many 50 Years of Decimal Currency $2 coins were made?
The circulation mintage was 2,880,000. That's fewer than the 12.9 million regular 2016 $2 coins, but more than most of the colored $2 commemoratives issued between 2012 and 2018. It shares its date with the five Rio Olympic coins.
Mintage figures: Australian two-dollar coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.