2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c Coin
The 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 2.3 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
- 2,300,000
- 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: Queensland 50c worth?
At 2.3 million, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 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: Queensland 50c rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50c coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c coins were made?
- 2,300,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 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: Queensland 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c was made
Queensland's path to Federation was less direct than most. The colony did not send delegates to the Federal Convention of 1897 and 1898, where much of the Constitution was written. Its leaders were divided over what a federal union would mean for the north. When the question finally went to a vote in 1899, Queenslanders said yes, with strong support from the regional districts. The colony joined the Commonwealth on 1 January 1901 with the others.
The Queensland 50c had a circulation mintage of 2,300,000. Its 20c partner was designed by Jenifer Gray, a student at Ingham State High School in north Queensland, so the state's coins in 2001 reflected both its official heraldry and a young local's view of it. Like the other regions, Queensland had a three-coin set with the 20c, 50c and $1. In circulation, the Queensland coin turns up a little more often than the territory coins but less often than the New South Wales and Victoria coins. Northern collectors in particular tend to keep one for local pride.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the Queensland coat of arms. The supporters are a red deer and a brolga, Queensland's bird emblem, a combination unique to this state. The shield is decorated with symbols of the land and its industries. Above it is a crowned Maltese cross between stalks of sugar cane and wheat. The motto AUDAX AT FIDELIS, bold but faithful, sits on a scroll below. Around the rim are CENTENARY OF FEDERATION, 1901 2001, QUEENSLAND and FIFTY CENTS. Turn it over and you'll find Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen, with IRB beneath the neck. If you see a tall wading bird on one side of the shield, you have the Queensland coin.
2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c ranks 7th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Tasmania 50c (2.2 million); the next more common is the 2024 NAIDOC 50th Anniversary 50c (2.31 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 22 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 1.6 times fewer than this one.
2001 brought 9 other circulating 50c coin designs, from the Centenary of Federation: ACT (2 million) up to the Centenary of Federation (43.1 million). 4 of them had a smaller run.
What to check on your 2001 Centenary of Federation: Queensland 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Centenary of Federation: Queensland 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.
With 2.3 million in circulation, the Queensland coin sits in the middle of the Federation series. Most circulated coins are face value, while uncirculated examples with a sharp brolga and deer bring a small premium. Look out for scratches across the shield, which is broad and easy to mark. The coin is a straightforward one to find, so wait for a good example. Coins from the Queensland three-coin set are the best preserved option. Keep any keeper in a holder, since loose 50c coins knock against each other and mark easily.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2001 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,300,000 |
| 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: New South Wales 50c Coin | 3,000,000 | 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: 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 animals are on the 2001 Queensland 50c?
A red deer and a brolga support the Queensland coat of arms. The brolga is the state's bird emblem. The coin also shows a crowned cross with sugar cane and wheat above the shield and the motto AUDAX AT FIDELIS.
How many 2001 Queensland 50c coins were made?
The circulation mintage was 2,300,000. That puts it in the middle of the nine state and territory coins, scarcer than the New South Wales and Victoria coins but more common than the two mainland territories.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.