A coin enthusiast has revealed the small detail that could make some 50-cent coins worth up to 140 times their face value.
Victorian coin collector Michael McCauley told Aussies to watch out for the “fairly rare” 50c piece, which has a design celebrating the start of the millennium on the coin’s “tails” side.
The Royal Australian Mint produced 16.6 million of the 50c coins, which feature the Australian flag. However, only a small number of them have an easy-to-miss feature in the Union Jack.
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“The cross pieces in the flag are lower down, it’s like it’s sunk into the coin,” McCauley explained on TikTok.
“They estimated about 200,000 of this particular coin - with the sunken-down features - made it into circulation.”
In the more common variety of the 2000 Millennium coin, the flag is raised from the surface of the coin rather than sunken.
McCauley said the coins, known as the ‘incused flag’, had recently sold for between $45 and $70 and were “a good find”.
“Definitely keep your eye out for these 50-cent coins from the year 2000 and have a look at the Union Jack and see if the metal is lower down,” he said.
It’s not the only rare 50c coin to keep an eye out for. , which were minted in 1966 and made from 80 per cent silver, are now worth $15 due to their silver value.
An could be worth nearly $15,000 due to an error by the Royal Australian Mint. The coins commemorate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet. However, instead of replacing the standard coat of arms with this design, some coins feature both designs.
Coin enthusiast Joel Kandiah said the secret to finding a valuable coin was high popularity among collectors as well as having limited production or "low mintage". "Broadly speaking, low mintage coins will see high demand because they're harder to find," Mr Kandiah said. But it's not always the case, he said.
The 1930 penny is the most famous and valuable, with only a few known to exist, making it exceptionally rare. Other notable years include 1925, 1946 and 1955, especially those with unique mint marks. Pennies from specific mints, like the Melbourne Mint, are also highly coveted.
1c and 2c coins will continue to be legal tender: they can still be used to purchase goods and can be deposited with financial institutions in the normal manner."
Year and Mint Mark – The year and mint mark of a coin go a long way in determining value. There are many year/mint combinations of various coins that are either extremely popular with collectors or extremely rare (low population).
Some people have made literal millions off of this numismatic trade. For example, according to Smithsonian Magazine, in 2021, a seller made a record-breaking $18.9 million on a 1933 Double Eagle, an American coin.
The Lyrebird 10c has been solely issued as a collector coin on only five occasions – in 1986, 1987, 1995, 1996 and 2023. The first two dates seem to be surprisingly undervalued, as they catalogue at only $8 apiece, but the values of the 1995 and 1996 dates are much more realistic.
The reverse side of the coin features the image of a frill-necked lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii), a reptile native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea. The image was designed by Stuart Devlin, who designed the reverses of all Australian decimal coins introduced in 1966.
From Australia's 1920 Sydney sovereign, Australia's rarest collectable, to the 1966 round 50 cents decimal coin, made from 80% silver, there's countless amazing stories out there which help account for the extraordinary interest in the fascinating history of our coinage.
When sorting through a lot of loose change, the 1972 five cent coin is arguably the most important Australian five cent to look for. Due to the low mintage, the 1972 five cent coin is very sought after (even in used condition) and can be worth over $100 in mint condition.
Which Australian One Dollar Coins Are Valuable? Australia's rarest one dollar coin is the 2000 $1/10c mule - this is the one to look for! A few years ago, a mint condition example sold at auction for more than $10,000.
To sell coins, it's best to contact a professional Coin Distributor. They will need to see the coin to assess its condition before giving you a valuation. Do some research beforehand to help you figure out if you're getting value for money. You can't sell your coins to the Mint.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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