Collectors Compete for New 50-Cent Coin Featuring Queen Elizabeth
There is a high demand for coins, being sold up to ten times the original retail price on various online platforms.
The latest 50-cent coin commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s life is particularly sought after, with prices soaring up to seven to ten times the original price.
The coin was released on Nov. 23 and comes in fine silver proof and uncirculated finishes. The uncirculated version retails at $15 (US$10) with a limited mintage of 25,000, while the silver proof version is sold at $135 with a limited mintage of 7,500.
Online platforms are witnessing a surge in coin prices as collectors rush to secure their limited editions. On eBay, coins are fetching up to $499—more than 33 times the original price.
Leigh Gordon, CEO of the Royal Australian Mint, emphasized that the latest release portrays “a study of graceful aging by one of the era’s most recognizable female figureheads” in a press release on Nov. 22.
The coin features six effigies of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, a British engraver, and is enclosed in an image of the lily of the valley and the golden wattle, Australia’s national floral emblem.
The sales of the special editions are limited to the Mint’s physical store in Canberra, its call centre, and through authorized distributors.
The Mint’s call system crashed due to high demand, with many excited collectors expressing their experiences on social media.
Numismatist Joel Kandiah predicted that the coins would trigger a frenzy and advised collectors to wait for prices to fall if they rise significantly early on. He also noted that the coin is significant as it is the last one honoring the Queen’s long reign.
