Description

The 14th of February 1966 was ‘C Day’, when Australia changed from the pounds, shillings, and pence system to a decimal system of dollars and cents. It was a massive event with shopping tills and calculators across the country needing to be modified or replaced, the government had to have more than a billion new coins minted and ready to be sent into circulation, and the public had to be extensively educated in the new decimal system. Preparation had begun years before with the new mint opening in Canberra in 1965. Because Australia needed so many new coins, decimal coins for 1966 were minted in London, Melbourne, Perth, and the brand new Royal Australian Mint (RAM) in Canberra. The 1991 25th Anniversary of Decimal Currency 50c is one of the lowest mintage circulating commemorative 50c coins.