2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c Coin
The 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c is a circulating 50c coin with 2.4 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
- 2,400,000
- 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: Western Australia 50c worth?
At 2.4 million, the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 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: Western Australia 50c rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50c coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c coins were made?
- 2,400,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 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: Western Australia 50c still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 50c coin, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Australia.
Why the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c was made
Western Australia was the last colony to commit to federation. Its government hesitated, worried about losing tariff revenue, while miners on the eastern goldfields pushed hard for union and even talked of forming a separate colony to join. Western Australians finally voted on 31 July 1900, after the Constitution had already passed the British Parliament. They approved it by a clear margin. The colony became an original state on 1 January 1901, but the doubts never quite vanished: in 1933 Western Australians voted to secede, a result that was never acted on.
The Western Australian 50c had a circulation mintage of 2,400,000, matching South Australia. Its 20c was designed by Janice Ng of Forrestfield Senior High School. A three-coin set paired the two with the $1. The coin looks bold and uncluttered, with the black swan, the state's best known symbol, at its center. In circulation it turns up across the country, though people in Perth and the west tend to hold on to it more readily as a home state coin.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows the Western Australian coat of arms. The shield carries a black swan, with two red kangaroos supporting it, each holding a boomerang. Above the shield is a crown flanked by kangaroo paw flowers, the state's floral emblem. Around the rim are CENTENARY OF FEDERATION, 1901 2001, WESTERN AUSTRALIA and FIFTY CENTS. As on every 2001 coin, the obverse has Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen, dated 2001. Don't mistake it for the Northern Territory coin, which also has two kangaroos: look for the swan on the shield and the boomerangs in the kangaroos' paws. The western coin has no eagle.
2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c by the numbers
In mintage terms the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c ranks 10th lowest of 32 circulating 50c coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: South Australia 50c (2.4 million); the next more common is the 2001 Centenary of Federation: Victoria 50c (2.8 million).
For scale, the most common is the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games 50c with 49.6 million, about 21 times as many. The scarcest is the 2017 1967 Referendum and Mabo 50c with 1.4 million, 1.7 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). 5 of them had a smaller run.
What to check on your 2001 Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 50c
- Confirm the design and date: Centenary of Federation: Western Australia 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 2.4 million, the Western Australian coin sits in the middle of the Federation series. Circulated coins are usually face value. Uncirculated examples with a clear swan and sharp kangaroo heads carry a small premium, especially in matched sets. The black swan is small, so a magnifier helps when you're judging wear. Coins from the Western Australian three-coin set are the best choice if you want an example with full original luster. Avoid any coin that has been cleaned, which leaves a dull, scratched surface.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Australia |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 cents |
| Issuer | Royal Australian Mint |
| Year | 2001 |
| Circulation mintage | 2,400,000 |
| 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: 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 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell the 2001 WA 50c from the NT 50c?
Both coins show kangaroos supporting a shield. The Western Australian coin has a black swan on the shield and kangaroos holding boomerangs, while the Northern Territory coin has Aboriginal motifs on the shield and an eagle above.
Is the 2001 Western Australia 50c rare?
Not really. 2,400,000 were struck for circulation, a middling figure for the Federation series. Worn coins are face value, while uncirculated ones bring a small premium from people completing the set of nine regional coins.
Mintage figures: Australian fifty-cent coin (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Australian Mint figures. How we build these pages.