2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c Coin
The 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 20.5 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2005
- Circulation mintage
- 20,500,000
- Value band
- Face value
- 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 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c worth?
20.5 million were made, so the 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c is easy to find. A circulated one is worth face value; collectors pay a little more only for uncirculated coins.
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 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c rare?
- No. 20.5 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c coins were made?
- 20,500,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 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 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c was made
Melbourne hosted the XVIII Commonwealth Games from 15 to 26 March 2006. In the lead-up the Royal Australian Mint ran a design competition for secondary school students, following its successful primary school contest of the year before. The winner was Kelly Just, a secondary school student whose design combined Australian animals with the sports of the Games.
The coin carries a 2005 date on the obverse even though the reverse refers to Melbourne 2006, because it was issued ahead of the Games. That mismatch confuses many people who find one in change. The circulation mintage was 20,500,000, a large figure that reflects how popular the Games theme was expected to be. Collectors often pair it with the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c, which marks the previous time Australia hosted the event. The Mint also offered an uncirculated version in a card and a silver proof, but the coin most people meet is the ordinary circulating version. Like the 2004 student coin, the design was turned into a sculpted model by the Mint's own staff, who kept the playful spirit of the original drawing.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows pairs of animals and athletes arranged around the rim, with each animal copying a sport. Native animals sit beside the athletes whose events they seem to be copying, which gives the coin its playful feel. In the center, the numeral 50 sits with lettering naming the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. The obverse shows Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II dated 2005. The coin has the usual 12 sides, 31.65 mm across the flats, 15.55 g of cupronickel and a plain edge. No other 50c pairs animals with athletes.
2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c by the numbers
By the numbers, the 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c ranks 26th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 1981 Royal Wedding 50c (20 million); the next more common is the 1994 International Year of the Family 50c (21.3 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 2.4 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 15 times fewer than this one.
It shared 2005 with 1 other circulating 50c coin design: the End of World War II 60th (26.6 million). The 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c was the scarcest of the year.
What to check on your 2005 Commonwealth Games Student Design 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Commonwealth Games Student Design dated 2005.
- 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 20.5 million, this is a common coin and circulated examples are face value. The animals and athletes are small, so it takes a clean, uncirculated coin to show them well. Those can bring a small premium. Look for coins with crisp edges on the figures and no rim knocks. A carded uncirculated example from the Mint is the easiest way to get a perfect one. Silver proof versions are collector products and were never in change. If you have both the 1982 and 2005 Games coins, keep them together as a pair.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2005 |
| Circulation mintage | 20,500,000 |
| Composition | Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Weight | 15.55 g |
| Diameter | 31.65 mm |
| Shape | 12-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
Other 2005 50c coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 End of World War II 60th 50c Coin | 26,600,000 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Melbourne 2006 50c say 2005?
The coin was issued ahead of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, which were held in March 2006. The obverse carries its 2005 date of issue while the reverse names the Games, which explains the two different years.
Who designed the 2005 Commonwealth Games 50c?
Kelly Just, a secondary school student, won the Royal Australian Mint's competition. The design shows animals copying athletes around the rim, with the Melbourne 2006 Games named in the center around the numeral 50.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.