1995 Weary Dunlop 50c Coin
The 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 15.9 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1995
- Circulation mintage
- 15,900,000
- 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 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c worth?
15.9 million were made, so the 1995 Weary Dunlop 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 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c rare?
- No. 15.9 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c coins were made?
- 15,900,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 1995 Weary Dunlop 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 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c was made
Edward 'Weary' Dunlop was an Australian Army surgeon who was captured by the Japanese in Java in 1942. As a prisoner of war he was sent to work on the Thai-Burma railway, where he cared for sick and starving men in appalling conditions and stood up to the guards on their behalf. Survivors credited him with saving many lives. After the war he continued as a surgeon in Melbourne, worked for reconciliation with Asia and was knighted in 1969. He died in 1993 and huge crowds lined the streets of Melbourne for his funeral.
In 1995 Australia marked 50 years since the end of the Second World War with a year of commemorations. The 50c chosen for that anniversary honored Dunlop as a symbol of the courage and care shown by prisoners of war. The circulation mintage was 15,900,000. The coin also appeared in the 1995 mint and proof sets and on a coin cover issued with the postal service, which made it popular with collectors and veterans' families. It remains one of the best known Australian coins with a wartime theme.
How to recognize it
Louis Laumen and Horst Hahne designed the reverse, with Hahne sculpting the final model. It shows Weary Dunlop's portrait with strands of barbed wire, a reminder of his years as a prisoner of war. His name, WEARY DUNLOP, appears on the coin along with the denomination 50. The obverse shows Raphael Maklouf's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with 1995 in the legend. The coin follows the standard 12-sided format: 31.65 mm across the flats, 15.55 g of cupronickel and a plain edge. The barbed wire is distinctive and makes the coin easy to spot in a pile of change, even when the portrait is worn smooth.
1995 Weary Dunlop 50c by the numbers
In mintage terms the 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c ranks 22nd lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2003 Australia's Volunteers 50c (13.9 million); the next more common is the 1970 Captain Cook Bicentenary 50c (16.5 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 3.1 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 11 times fewer than this one.
It was the only circulating commemorative 50c coin dated 1995.
What to check on your 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Weary Dunlop dated 1995.
- 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.
Nearly 16 million were made, so this is a common coin and circulated examples are face value. Collectors look for coins with a sharp portrait and clean fields, which can earn a small premium. Dunlop's face is the high point and shows wear first. Uncirculated coins from the 1995 mint sets are the best way to get a fine example. Many families keep this coin for its meaning rather than its scarcity, which is a perfectly good reason to hold on to one.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 1995 |
| Circulation mintage | 15,900,000 |
| Composition | Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Weight | 15.55 g |
| Diameter | 31.65 mm |
| Shape | 12-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the man on the 1995 50c coin?
He is Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop, an Australian Army surgeon who cared for prisoners of war on the Thai-Burma railway. The coin marked 50 years since the end of the Second World War.
Is the 1995 Weary Dunlop 50c valuable?
Not in circulated condition. With 15,900,000 released it is common and worth face value. An uncirculated coin with a sharp portrait can carry a small premium, especially from the 1995 mint set.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.