2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c Coin
The 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 2.2 million made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2001
- Circulation mintage
- 2,200,000
- 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: Norfolk Island 50c worth?
At 2.2 million, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 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: Norfolk Island 50c rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50c coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c coins were made?
- 2,200,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 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: Norfolk Island 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c was made
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific about 1,400 kilometers east of the mainland. James Cook sighted it in 1774 and it later served as a penal settlement. In 1856 descendants of the Bounty mutineers moved there from Pitcairn Island. Many islanders today trace their families back to them. In 2001 Norfolk Island was a self-governing external territory of Australia, a status it had held since 1979, so it was given a place in the Centenary of Federation coin program alongside the states and the mainland territories.
That makes this one of the more surprising coins in the series. Norfolk Island was never a colony that voted for federation, but its inclusion reflected its standing as part of the Commonwealth in 2001. The circulation mintage was 2,200,000, the same as Tasmania and only slightly more than the two mainland territories. The island also received a 20c designed by Megan Cummings, a student from Norfolk Island Central School. Both coins went into a three-coin set with the $1. Coins struck for an island of a couple of thousand people still circulated nationally, so they turn up in change everywhere.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the Norfolk Island coat of arms. Look for the Norfolk Island pine growing from a rocky mound, the tree the island is famous for. The shield carries a book, usually read as the Bible, together with two stars. The supporters are a lion and a kangaroo, each resting a foreleg on an anchor. The motto INASMUCH comes from the Gospel of Matthew. Around the rim are CENTENARY OF FEDERATION, 1901 2001, NORFOLK ISLAND and FIFTY CENTS. Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is on the other side. The pine tree and the anchors set this coin apart from every other in the series.
2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c by the numbers
In mintage terms the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c ranks 5th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c (2.1 million); the next more common is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Tasmania 50c (2.2 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 23 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 1.6 times fewer than this one.
It was released in 2001 alongside 9 other circulating 50c coin designs, from the Centenary of Federation: ACT (2 million) up to the Centenary of Federation (43.1 million). 2 of them had a smaller run.
What to check on your 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 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 2.2 million puts the Norfolk Island coin among the lower figures in the Federation series. Worn coins are still mostly face value, but collectors pay a small premium for uncirculated examples. It is also one of the coins people often need to finish a set. The pine tree and the lion's mane are the first areas to wear. If you live on the mainland and find one in change, it's worth keeping simply for the story: it is the only circulating Australian 50c dedicated to Norfolk Island.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2001 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,200,000 |
| 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: 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: South Australia 50c Coin | 2,400,000 | 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
Why is there a Norfolk Island 50c?
Norfolk Island was a self-governing territory of Australia in 2001, so it was included in the Centenary of Federation series with the six states and two mainland territories. Its coin shows the island's coat of arms.
What does INASMUCH mean on the Norfolk Island 50c?
INASMUCH is the motto on the Norfolk Island coat of arms. It is taken from a verse in the Gospel of Matthew about caring for others. It appears on a scroll beneath the shield.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.