The Australian 1966 50 cent piece

[gweidion]

This topic might have been touched on before but I was wondering if we have a 1966 50 cent guru in the midst.

About 36.5 million minted. AI says only about 14 million initially released. Potentially a lot melted for their silver value. About three to the ounce.

Current eBag prices are around $19 to $25 each. 
My Nana had about 50 that came to me eventually. I think they were worth about $1.50 in those days. 

I assume that there wouldn't be many legitimately uncirculated ones around unless clever people hoarded bags of them from the bank.
PCGS say 2677 graded. I don't know how many through NGC, ANACS or ICG. 


How much research has been done, (if any), to see how many of these still exist?

How many do our members hold? About ten years back I went on a bit of a buying spree about bought probably another 50 at around $5 to $7 each. 
When was the last time you got one in circulation? I got one about two to three years ago, I assume passed off as a 20 cent piece. Of course I was overjoyed.

[autocoupler]

About twenty years ago I purchased four 1966 coloured folder mint sets, probably paid too much, they all look uncirculated so I'm hoping they are. Around the same time, I purchased three sealed carded sets. Also, around the same time I purchased a shiny example from a jeweler in Parramatta for $10, and over the years have been given 10 or so by friends. On one occasion while at a State of Origin game at Lang Park I received a round 50 cent in change at the bar but later spent it on beers. What else do you do when you're broke? I'm thinking current beer prices at those venues may not be too shy of $19 anyway.

[Mister T]

In my memory it was only 16 million released - presumably the rest were melted down?
I haven't ever got one in change though I got a few from a family member many years ago.

The bit I'm not sure about it how many exist - I know lots of low-value coins get traded for their silver value, but do many of these actually end up getting melted or do they just go from stacker to stacker?

[Triggersmob]

I only try to collect one of each coin, so I only have one.

[gweidion]

I generally try to collect two of each, two kids, but one of them has shown less than zero interest. I gave him a proof set from his birth year and he gave it back to me saying he doesn't want it.
I make an exception for silver and gold, not that I can afford heaps of either.
My best 1966 50 cents is one graded MS65 from PCGS. I'm happy with it. A few years ago I bought the 1966 Proof set for about $300 but it is the most immaculate set I have ever seen. Again, I am happy with it.

[Sapyx]

There's no such research done, because there's no real way of quantifying how many of these coins still exist. There are probably mint records of melting of officially withdrawn coins, but no records would exist of unofficial meltings, either here in Australia or abroad. Large numbers of them were exported to Hong Kong/China in the 1960s.

All we can say for sure is that there are still plenty of them around; enough for them to still be treated as a bullion coin.

[JeffH]

I had quite a few but sold off most for silver value (my spreadsheet says about AU$17.50 each currently). Only kept a few better ones.

Some years ago I was buying them on eBay for a man in Hong Kong. He was apparently a student in Sydney back in the day but could not afford to keep more than a few, needed to eat and pay rent instead.
He said he really liked the coins and was buying small lots. Might have considered them a retirement fund or possibly they ended up being melted down for jewellery -I don't know.
Anyway I was buying them and sending him a bulk lot when I had enough. 10% commission for me and cheaper overall for him because bulk postage was a good saving. Pocket money for me and a chance to grab some better specimens.

Hard to find any that have been in circulation with negligible wear, 80% silver makes for a soft coin. These are about as good as you get with eBay lots.

[gweidion]

Nice. I still see a few for sale on eBag, the better looking ones have generally been cleaned. Rare to see any with a mint luster.

[Pedro]

:good: Very nice coins Jeff.

Pedro

[stevo1962]

I bought a few bank bags of UNC coins about 10 years ago .Sent the best of them to PCGS and sold most of them off .Still have about 20 graded examples and another 180 Ive accumulated .I started buying them when they were about $6

[gweidion]

Can you remember what the bags cost you?
At $6 each that was a great accumulation price.
What was your best PCGS grade?

[stevo1962]

Can you remember what the bags cost you?
At $6 each that was a great accumulation price.
What was your best PCGS grade?

Got 4 or 5 to grade MS66 .When i bought the bags the coins worked out to $12 each
which was more than the going rate at the time but I figured they all should be unc.They graded
MS63 to MS66 but mostly were MS64 and MS65

[gweidion]

Nice, you certainly did the right thing. I would have loved a bag.

[gweidion]

What a win that turned out to be. Latest price I saw on eBag was $60 and up. Crazy prices.

[1887Sovereign]

There's no such research done, because there's no real way of quantifying how many of these coins still exist. There are probably mint records of melting of officially withdrawn coins, but no records would exist of unofficial meltings, either here in Australia or abroad. Large numbers of them were exported to Hong Kong/China in the 1960s.

All we can say for sure is that there are still plenty of them around; enough for them to still be treated as a bullion coin.

I like your collection. And remember getting one in change in Darwin many years ago.
Truly delighted!