2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c Coin
The 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 3 million made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2001
- Circulation mintage
- 3,000,000
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% 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 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c worth?
At 3 million, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c has a smaller run than most 50c coins, so collectors pay a small premium for it, especially in uncirculated condition. Well circulated examples sit close to face value.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with no bag marks
- An original mint roll or set
- A recognized variety or genuine error
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50c coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c coins were made?
- 3,000,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c made of?
- Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel). It weighs 15.55 g and measures 31.65 mm, with a 12-sided shape.
- Is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c was made
New South Wales was the oldest colony and its leaders shaped the push for federation. Sir Henry Parkes, the colony's long-serving Premier, called for a federal union in his Tenterfield speech of 1889. Edmund Barton of New South Wales became the first Prime Minister. The Commonwealth itself was proclaimed in Sydney's Centennial Park on 1 January 1901. Fittingly, Sydney also hosted the opening celebrations of the centenary year on 1 January 2001.
The New South Wales 50c had a circulation mintage of 3,000,000, the highest of the nine state and territory coins, reflecting the state's larger population. Its 20c companion was designed by Joseph Neve, a student at Bellingen High School. It showed the waratah, the state's floral emblem, against an outline of the state. The 20c, 50c and $1 were sold together in a three-coin collector set. Because more coins were made and New South Wales has the most people, this is the state coin that turns up most often in change, which makes it a good place to start a Federation set.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the New South Wales coat of arms, credited to William Applegate Gullick. The supporters are a lion and a kangaroo. The shield carries the cross of St George with a lion and four eight-pointed stars, plus golden fleeces and sheaves of wheat for the colony's farming wealth. Above is a rising sun. The motto ORTA RECENS QUAM PURA NITES, meaning newly risen, how brightly you shine, sits on a scroll below. Around the rim are CENTENARY OF FEDERATION, 1901 2001, NEW SOUTH WALES and FIFTY CENTS. The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The lion and kangaroo pair is shared with Norfolk Island, so check the shield.
2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c by the numbers
In mintage terms the 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c ranks 12th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Victoria 50c (2.8 million); the next more common is the 2014 AIATSIS 50th Anniversary 50c (3 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 17 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 2.1 times fewer than this one.
It was released in 2001 alongside 9 other circulating 50c coin designs, from the Centenary of Federation: ACT (2 million) up to the Centenary of Federation (43.1 million). 8 of them had a smaller run.
What to check on your 2001 Centenary of Federation: New South Wales 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Centenary of Federation: New South Wales dated 2001.
- Check the shape and size: the 50c is 12-sided, 31.65 mm across and weighs 15.55 g.
- Look at the surfaces under a light. Coins from mint rolls or sets have unbroken luster; change-worn coins show scuffs on the high points.
- Never clean it. Polishing leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
At 3 million, the New South Wales coin is the most common of the state series, so circulated examples are face value. That doesn't make it uninteresting. Collectors still want a clean uncirculated example for their set and those can bring a small premium. The rising sun and the lion are high points that wear quickly. Coins from the three-coin sets are usually the best preserved. Some were also issued in the larger Federation collections sold by the Mint. Check the fields for bag marks before deciding a coin is uncirculated.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2001 |
| Circulation mintage | 3,000,000 |
| Composition | Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Weight | 15.55 g |
| Diameter | 31.65 mm |
| Shape | 12-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
Other 2001 50c coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 Centenary of Federation 50c Coin | 43,100,000 | Face value |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: ACT 50c Coin | 2,000,000 | Small premium |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c Coin | 2,200,000 | Small premium |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c Coin | 2,100,000 | Small premium |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c Coin | 2,300,000 | Small premium |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c Coin | 2,400,000 | Small premium |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: Tasmania 50c Coin | 2,200,000 | Small premium |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: Victoria 50c Coin | 2,800,000 | Small premium |
| 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c Coin | 2,400,000 | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
What does the motto on the 2001 NSW 50c mean?
The Latin motto ORTA RECENS QUAM PURA NITES means newly risen, how brightly you shine. It refers to the rising sun on the New South Wales coat of arms and to the young colony itself.
How many 2001 New South Wales 50c coins were made?
The circulation mintage was 3,000,000, the highest of the nine state and territory coins in the Centenary of Federation series. Circulated examples are face value, while uncirculated ones draw a small premium.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.