Summary

Australia
Fifty Cent 2005 (AD)
Mint: Royal Australian
Melbourne 2006 (M2006) Commonwealth Games uncirculated, packaged

Commemorative Fifty cent coin featuring the the 'Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Athletic Spirit Subgraphic for Rugby 7's on the reverse.

The top 16 Commonwealth nations (as determined by the results of the 2005 Rugby 7's World Cup) competed for the gold medal at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The coin is made of Cupro Nickel, was designed by Wojciech Pietranik, and was struck at the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra.

Physical Description

A dodecagonal coin, following the standard pattern for Australian fifty cent pieces The coin is uncirculated and sealed in plastic packaging. Packaging: A plasticised card, coloured aqua, green and orange, the brand colours of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. The coin is held in a plastic enclosure in the right hand side of the card. It is heavily branded, and bears brief numismatic details on the back.

Obverse Description

Head of Queen Elizabeth II. Text: 'ELIZABETH II' from 7 o'clock to 11 o 'clock; 'AUSTRALIA 2006' from 1 o'clock to 5 o'clock.

Reverse Description

Reverse: Central figure is a stylised line drawing of a Rugby player passing a ball. Two interlocking freehand-style loops are placed in the background. Reading the text and other devices clockwise, from 10 o'clock to 11 o'clock: 'MELBOURNE 2006', surmounted by Games logo, presented horizontally ; from 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock 'XVIII COMMONWEALTH GAMES' written around the curve of the rim; at 5 o'clock '50' is written horizontally, next to the rim.

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

These coins are a part of the commemoration of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. A series of over 10 coins will be issued by the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra, of which these are a part.
From 15 to 26 March, 2006, the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games will bring together over 4000 athletes from 71 Commonwealth Nations, for competition in 11 sports. A Fifty cent piece bearing the 'Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Athletic Spirit Subgraphic' for each sport will issued by the Mint.
The packaging for each coin features the branding for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. The ubiquity of this branding on products and events associated with the Games is significant in and of itself, as it is an indication of the holistic approach taken to managing the representation of the games by the organising body, Melbourne 2006.
The associated web-pages from the Royal Australian Mint website (www.ramint.gov.au) add a small amount of information about the individual sports. Copies of these materials will be kept as supplementary information about the objects.
The designs for the sports Fifty cent coins were created by Wojciech Pietranik. Pietranik also designed the medals for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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