Half dollar

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The term "half dollar" refers to a half-unit of several currencies that are named "dollar". One dollar ($1) is normally divided into subsidiary currency of 100 cents, so a half dollar is equal to 50 cents. These half dollars (aka 50 cent pieces) are denominated as either Coins or as banknotes. Although more than a dozen countries have their own unique dollar currency, not all of them use a 50 cent piece or half dollar. This article only includes half dollars and 50 cent pieces that were intended for circulation, those that add up to units of dollars, and those in the form of a coin.

Contents

Currently minted

The obverse side of a United States half dollar US Half Dollar Obverse 2015.png
The obverse side of a United States half dollar
Circulating half dollars by country
Country(s) / CityUnit of
currency
Technical parametersDescriptionDate of
first minting [lower-alpha 1]
DiameterThicknessWeightCompositionEdgeObverseReverse
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia and its territories AUD 31.65 mm2.5 mm15.55 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel Plain Queen Elizabeth II Coat of Arms 1985
Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas BSD 29 mmN/A10.51 gCupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickelN/A Coat of Arms A Marlin leaping out of water. 1974
Flag of Belize.svg Belize BZD N/AN/AN/ACupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickelN/A Queen Elizabeth II Ornamental - Country/Value/Date 1974
Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei BND 27.70 mmN/A7.29 gCupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickelReeded Hassanal Bolkiah Coat of Arms 1993
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada [lower-alpha 2] CAD 27.13 mm1.95 mm6.9 g93.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel platingMilled Queen Elizabeth II Coat of Arms 2000
Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji FJD N/AN/AN/ACupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickelN/AA Humphead wrasse A takia 2012 [1]
Flag of Hong Kong.svg Hong Kong HKD 22.5 mm1.72 mm4.92 gBrass-plated steelMilled Bauhinia Value 1993
Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia LRD N/AN/A9.0 gNickel Clad SteelN/A William R. Tolbert Jr. Coat of Arms & Motto2000
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand and others. NZD 24.75 mm1.70 mm5.0gNickel-plated steelPlain Queen Elizabeth II HMS Endeavour 1999
Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore SGD 23 mm2.45 mm6.56 gNickel-plated steelScalloped Coat of Arms Port of Singapore 2013
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands SBD N/AN/AN/ACupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickelN/A Queen Elizabeth II Coat of Arms 2012 [2]
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago TTD N/AN/AN/ACupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickelN/A Coat of Arms Value 1976
Flag of the United States.svg United States and others USD 30.61 mm2.15 mm11.34 gCupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickelReeded John F. Kennedy USA Presidential Seal 1971 [3]

Formerly minted

Newfoundland 50-cent piece from 1908 depicting King Edward VII Canada Newfoundland Edward VII 50 Cents 1908.jpg
Newfoundland 50-cent piece from 1908 depicting King Edward VII
Former half dollars by country
Country(s) / CityUnit of
currency
Technical parametersDescriptionIntroducedWithdrawn
DiameterThicknessWeightCompositionEdgeObverseReverse
Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda BMD 30.5 mmN/A12.60 g75% copper 25% nickel MilledQueen Elizabeth II Coat of arms 19701990 [4]
Flag of the Confederate States of America (July 1861 - November 1861).svg Confederate States of America CSD 30.6 mmN/A12.44 g90% silver 10% copperReeded Seated Liberty Peterson CSA seal18611865
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands CID 32 mmN/AN/A75% copper 25% nickelN/AQueen Elizabeth IIValue19722016 [5]
Flag of North Borneo (1902-1946).svg Crown Colony of North Borneo MBBD N/AN/AN/A75% copper 25% nickelN/AQueen Elizabeth IIValue19531969
Flag of Sarawak (1946-1963).svg Crown Colony of Sarawak MBBD N/AN/AN/A75% copper 25% nickelN/AQueen Elizabeth IIValue19531967
Dominion of Newfoundland Red Ensign.svg Dominion of Newfoundland NFD 29.85 mmN/A11.78 g92.5% silver 7.5% copperReededReigning British Monarch Value 1870 1949
Flag of Malaya.svg Federation of Malaya MBBD N/AN/AN/A75% copper 25% nickelN/AQueen Elizabeth IIValue19531969
Flag of Hawaii (1896).svg Hawaiian Kingdom [lower-alpha 3] HD N/AN/AN/A90% silver 10% copperN/AKing Kalākaua Value18831900 [lower-alpha 4]
Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica JMD 31.37 mmN/A12.43 g75% copper 25% nickelN/A Coat of arms Marcus Garvey 19761990
Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati KID 31.65 mmN/AN/A75% copper 25% nickelN/A Coat of arms Pandanus tree 1979In circulation
Flag of Sarawak.svg Sarawak SD N/AN/AN/A80% silver 20% copper (1858-1919)
40% silver 60% copper (1920-1953)
N/A White Rajahs N/A18581953
Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan [lower-alpha 5] TWD 18 mmN/A3.0 g97% copper 2.5% zinc 0.5% tin N/A Mei Blossom Value 1981 [6] Un­known
Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu TVD 32 mmN/AN/A75% copper 25% nickelN/AQueen Elizabeth IIOctopus1976In circulation
Flag of the West Indies Federation (1958-1962).svg West Indies Federation BWI N/AN/AN/A75% copper 25% nickel N/AQueen Elizabeth IIN/A19551981

Notes

  1. Some countries have had many varieties and forms of half dollars/50 cent pieces. The dates used in this table reflect when the current form (design/metal base) was first issued.
  2. Half dollars from this country no longer circulate as they are minted in small amounts for collectors who purchase them at a premium
  3. These half dollars were also accepted as legal tender by the successive Provisional Government of Hawaii, and Republic of Hawaii governments.
  4. These coins were used until Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900
  5. While 50-cent pieces have been discontinued in Taiwan, they are still legal tender.

Related Research Articles

The Eastern Caribbean dollar is the currency of all seven full members and one associate member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The successor to the British West Indies dollar, it has existed since 1965, and it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $ or, alternatively, EC$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. The EC$ is subdivided into 100 cents. It has been pegged to the United States dollar since 7 July 1976, at the exchange rate of US$1 = EC$2.70.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian dollar</span> Currency of Australia

The Australian dollar is the official currency and legal tender of Australia, including all of its external territories, and three independent sovereign Pacific Island states: Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu. As of 2022, it is the sixth most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market and also the seventh most-held reserve currency in global reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal tender</span> Medium of payment recognized by law

Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in payment of a debt extinguishes the debt. There is no obligation on the creditor to accept the tendered payment, but the act of tendering the payment in legal tender discharges the debt.

The Hong Kong dollar is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cents or 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong dollar.

The Singapore dollar is the official currency of the Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issues the banknotes and coins of the Singapore dollar.

The British West Indies dollar (BWI$) was the currency of British Guiana and the Eastern Caribbean territories of the British West Indies from 1949 to 1965, when it was largely replaced by the East Caribbean dollar, and was one of the currencies used in Jamaica from 1954 to 1964. The monetary policy of the currency was overseen by the British Caribbean Currency Board (BCCB). It was the official currency used by the West Indies Federation The British West Indies dollar was never used in British Honduras, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, or Bermuda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian pound</span> Former currency of Australia

The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.

Australian coins refers to the coins which are or were in use as Australian currency. During the early days of the colonies that formed Australia, foreign as well as British currency was used, but in 1910, a decade after federation, Australian coins were introduced. Australia used pounds, shillings and pence until 1966, when it adopted the decimal system with the Australian dollar divided into 100 cents. With the exception of the first Proclamation Coinage and the holey dollars, all Australian coins remain legal tender despite being withdrawn from circulation.

The Bermudian dollar is the official currency of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The Bermudian dollar is not normally traded outside Bermuda, and is pegged to the United States dollar at a one-to-one ratio. Both currencies circulate in Bermuda on an equal basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican dollar</span> Currency of Jamaica

The Jamaican dollar has been the currency of Jamaica since 1969. It is often abbreviated to J$, the J serving to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents, although cent denominations are no longer in use as of 2018. Goods and services may still be priced in cents, but cash transactions are now rounded to the nearest dollar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad and Tobago dollar</span> Currency of Trinidad and Tobago

The Trinidad and Tobago dollar is the currency of Trinidad and Tobago. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively TT$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 100 cents. Cents are abbreviated with the cent sign ¢, or TT¢ to distinguish from other currencies that use cents. Its predecessor currencies are the Trinidadian dollar and the Tobagonian dollar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican pound</span> Official currency of Jamaica (1840–1969)

The pound was the official currency of Jamaica between 1840 and 1969. It circulated as a mixture of sterling coinage and locally issued coins and banknotes and was always equal to the pound sterling. The Jamaican pound was also used in the Cayman and Turks and Caicos Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cook Islands dollar</span> Currency of the Cook Islands

The Cook Islands dollar was the former currency of the Cook Islands, which now uses the New Zealand dollar, although some physical cash issued for the Cook Islands dollar remains in use. The dollar was subdivided into 100 cents, with some older 50-cent coins carrying the denomination as "50 tene".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian fifty-cent coin</span> Current denomination of Australian currency

The twelve-sided Australian fifty-cent coin is the third-highest denomination coin of the Australian dollar and the largest in terms of size in circulation. It is equal in size and shape to the Cook Island $5 coin, and both remain the only 12-sided coins in the southern hemisphere. It was introduced in 1969 to replace the round fifty-cent coin issued in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danish West Indian daler</span> Currency of the Danish West Indies (1849–1917)

The daler was the currency of the Danish West Indies between 1849 and 1917, and of the United States Virgin Islands between 1917 and 1934.

The coins of the New Zealand dollar are used for the smallest physical currency available in New Zealand. The current denominations are ten cents, twenty cents, fifty cents, one dollar and two dollars. The $1 and $2 coins are minted in a gold colour, the 20c and 50c coins are silver colour and the 10c coin is plated in copper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States dollar</span> Official currency of the United States of America

The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it into 100 cents, and authorized the minting of coins denominated in dollars and cents. U.S. banknotes are issued in the form of Federal Reserve Notes, popularly called greenbacks due to their predominantly green color.

The Pitcairn Islands is a non-sovereign British overseas territory and the New Zealand dollar is used as exchange. The Pitcairn Islands began issuing its first commemorative coins in 1988. Though the Pitcairn Islands dollar is not a true currency in the strict sense of the word, and is not used as a circulation coinage, it can be lawfully exchanged as tender. The Pitcairn Islands dollar exists only because of the coin collecting market, which provides a major staple for the island nation. Having a population of only 50 according to the 2020 census, and with only one island in the group of four being populated, there is no need for local coinage. Coins consist of an important part of the Pitcairn Islands' tiny economy and help raise funds for the government's largely fixed and subsidised income.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three-cent silver</span> US three-cent coin (1851–1873)

The three-cent silver, also known as the three-cent piece in silver or trime, was struck by the Mint of the United States for circulation from 1851 to 1872, and as a proof coin in 1873. Designed by the Mint's chief engraver, James B. Longacre, it circulated well while other silver coinage was being hoarded and melted, but once that problem was addressed, became less used. It was abolished by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1873.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalākaua coinage</span> 1883 Kingdom of Hawaiis silver coins

The Kalākaua coinage is a set of silver coins of the Kingdom of Hawaii dated 1883, authorized to boost Hawaiian pride by giving the kingdom its own money. They were designed by Charles E. Barber, Chief Engraver of the United States Bureau of the Mint, and were struck at the San Francisco Mint. The issued coins are a dime, quarter dollar, half dollar, and dollar.

References

  1. "New Currency Designs". Fiji Times. 2012-12-13. Retrieved 2013-07-09.
  2. "New coins of the Solomon Islands". mas.gov.sg. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  3. "Kennedy Half Dollar". www.virmu.com. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  4. "Calling in of the One Dollar Note and the Fifty Cent Circulation Coin" (PDF). Laws of Bermuda. Government of Bermuda. 30 March 1990. GN 200/1990. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  5. "Public Notice: Old Cook Islands Coins No Longer Legal Tender as of 1 May 2016 - Cook Islands - Ministry of Finance and Economic Management". cookislands.gov.ck.
  6. "中央銀行發行之貨幣及偵偽鈔辨識".