2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c Coin
The 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 2 million made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2019
- Circulation mintage
- 2,000,000
- 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 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c worth?
At 2 million, the 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 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 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50c coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c coins were made?
- 2,000,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 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 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c was made
The United Nations declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages to draw attention to the many languages around the world at risk of disappearing. Australia was home to hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages before colonization. Many are now spoken by only a few people or are being revived from records. The Royal Australian Mint worked with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies to create a commemorative 50c for the year.
The coin was developed together with 14 Indigenous language groups, including the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains. It was launched in Adelaide in April 2019. Its circulation mintage was 2,000,000, one of the lowest for any 50c. The idea was that every time someone used the coin, they would hold a reminder of the languages it carries. Many people noticed it straight away because its design is made of words rather than pictures, which gives it a look unlike any earlier Australian coin. It is one of very few Australian coins where language itself is the subject.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows 14 words from different Indigenous languages, each a translation of the word coin, arranged in a pattern across the face of the coin. Together they create a design built entirely from language. The obverse carries a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with 2019 in the legend. Like every 50c since 1969, the coin is 12-sided, 31.65 mm across the flats and 15.55 g of cupronickel with a plain edge. The words are the identifying feature: no other 50c has a reverse made up of written words in this way, so you'll recognize it at once. Read the words slowly and you'll notice how different they look from one another.
2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c by the numbers
By the numbers, the 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c ranks 3rd lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: ACT 50c (2 million); the next more common is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c (2.1 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 25 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million.
It was the only circulating commemorative 50c coin dated 2019.
What to check on your 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Year of Indigenous Languages dated 2019.
- 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 2 million, this is one of the lower circulating 50c mintages and well worth keeping. Circulated examples can bring a small premium. Uncirculated coins attract more interest. The lettering is fine, so wear shows as softening of the words, especially near the center. Check for scratches across the open areas between the words. This coin pairs naturally with the 2014 AIATSIS 50c, since the Institute was involved in both. Together they make a strong small theme collection of 50c coins honoring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2019 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,000,000 |
| Composition | Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Weight | 15.55 g |
| Diameter | 31.65 mm |
| Shape | 12-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
Frequently asked questions
What do the words on the 2019 50c mean?
They are 14 translations of the word coin, each from a different Indigenous language. The design was developed with 14 language groups, working with the Royal Australian Mint and AIATSIS, to mark the International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019.
How many 2019 Indigenous Languages 50c coins were made?
The circulation mintage was 2,000,000, one of the lowest for any 50c. Circulated coins can bring a small premium and uncirculated examples are popular with collectors of Indigenous themed coins.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.