2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c Coin
The 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 2.4 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
- 2,400,000
- 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: South Australia 50c worth?
At 2.4 million, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 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: South Australia 50c rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50c coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c coins were made?
- 2,400,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 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: South Australia 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c was made
South Australia played a central part in drafting the Constitution. The Federal Convention that produced it opened in Adelaide in March 1897 with the colony's Premier, Charles Kingston, as its president. South Australia had also led the way on voting rights, giving women the vote and the right to stand for parliament in 1894, so South Australian women had their say when the colony voted on federation. The colony approved the Constitution and joined the Commonwealth in 1901.
The South Australian 50c had a circulation mintage of 2,400,000, the same as Western Australia. Its 20c companion was designed by Lisa Murphy, a student at Yankalilla Area School. The two coins were sold with the $1 in a three-coin set. The South Australian coin is a favorite with many collectors because the bird gives it a strong, simple focal point. It also looks noticeably different from the other states, which makes it easy to spot in a handful of change. A sharp example is one of the more attractive coins of 2001.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the South Australian coat of arms, built around the piping shrike, the bird on the state's badge. The shrike stands with wings spread while Sturt's desert pea, the state's floral emblem, appears in the design. Without the paired animals or figures seen on most of the other arms, the bird carries the whole design. Around the rim are CENTENARY OF FEDERATION, 1901 2001, SOUTH AUSTRALIA and FIFTY CENTS. The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with 2001 in the legend. Standard 50c specifications apply: 12 sides, 31.65 mm across the flats and 15.55 g.
2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c by the numbers
By the numbers, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c ranks 9th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2024 NAIDOC 50th Anniversary 50c (2.31 million); the next more common is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c (2.4 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 21 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 1.7 times fewer than this one.
It shared 2001 with 9 other circulating 50c coin designs, from the Centenary of Federation: ACT (2 million) up to the Centenary of Federation (43.1 million). 5 of them had a smaller run.
What to check on your 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Centenary of Federation: South Australia 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.
A mintage of 2.4 million places this coin in the upper half of the state series. Circulated examples are generally face value. The broad fields show every scratch, so a truly clean coin stands out and can bring a small premium. The bird's spread wings are the high point to check for wear. If you're choosing between several examples, pick the one with the fewest marks in the open space around the shrike, not just the one with the sharpest bird.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2001 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,400,000 |
| 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: Queensland 50c Coin | 2,300,000 | 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 bird is on the 2001 South Australia 50c?
It is the piping shrike, the bird on South Australia's badge and coat of arms. It appears with wings spread alongside Sturt's desert pea, the state's floral emblem, with the state's name and the centenary dates around it.
Is the 2001 South Australian 50c worth anything?
In circulated condition it is usually face value, since 2,400,000 were made. An uncirculated coin with clean fields can carry a small premium, especially when it completes a matched Federation set of all nine regional coins.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.