2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c Coin
The 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 2.1 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
- 2,100,000
- 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: Northern Territory 50c worth?
At 2.1 million, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 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: Northern Territory 50c rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50c coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c coins were made?
- 2,100,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 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: Northern Territory 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c was made
At Federation in 1901 the Northern Territory was part of South Australia, which had administered it since the 1860s. On 1 January 1911 control passed to the Commonwealth. The territory was then run from Canberra until it gained self-government in 1978. That history explains why the Northern Territory took part in the Centenary of Federation celebrations not as one of the founding colonies but as a vast region whose relationship with the Commonwealth had changed over the century.
Its 50c had a circulation mintage of 2,100,000, the second lowest in the series after the Australian Capital Territory. The territory also received a 20c designed by Lisa Brett, a student at Leanyer School in Darwin. Three-coin sets paired the territory's 20c and 50c with the $1. The coins surface in change across the country, but they are noticeably less common than the larger state coins. Anyone working through the series from pocket change will usually find this one late. That scarcity, small as it is, gives the coin a little extra appeal.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the Northern Territory coat of arms. The central shield carries Aboriginal motifs, which immediately set it apart from the European heraldry of the older states. Two red kangaroos support the shield and a wedge-tailed eagle stands above it. Lettering around the rim reads CENTENARY OF FEDERATION 1901 2001 NORTHERN TERRITORY FIFTY CENTS. The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the initials IRB beneath. As with all 50c coins of the period, it is 12-sided, 31.65 mm across the flats and 15.55 g of cupronickel with a plain edge. The eagle above the shield is the quickest feature to look for when sorting a handful of 2001 coins.
2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c ranks 4th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages 50c (2 million); the next more common is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Norfolk Island 50c (2.2 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 24 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 1.5 times fewer than this one.
2001 brought 9 other circulating 50c coin designs, from the Centenary of Federation: ACT (2 million) up to the Centenary of Federation (43.1 million). 1 of them had a smaller run.
What to check on your 2001 Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Centenary of Federation: Northern Territory 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.
At 2.1 million, the Northern Territory coin is one of the two scarcest in the Federation series. Circulated examples can still be found for face value with patience. Nice uncirculated coins carry a small premium. A matched pair with the ACT coin is a sensible first target for a set. The eagle's wings and the kangaroos' heads are the first places to wear, so check those closely. If you're assembling a set in matching condition, buy or keep the scarce coins first, since the common ones are easy to find later. Avoid coins with rim knocks, which are common on the heavy 50c.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2001 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,100,000 |
| 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: Norfolk Island 50c Coin | 2,200,000 | 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
Is the 2001 Northern Territory 50c rare?
It is one of the scarcer coins in the Federation series, with 2,100,000 struck, second only to the ACT coin. It is not rare in the true sense, but uncirculated examples carry a small premium with collectors.
What is on the 2001 Northern Territory 50c?
The territory's coat of arms, with Aboriginal motifs on the shield, two red kangaroos as supporters and a wedge-tailed eagle above. It was the first Northern Territory design on a circulating 50c. Lettering names the territory and the Centenary of Federation.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.