Half dollar

The term "half dollar" refers to a half-unit of several currencies that are named "dollar". Normally, $1 is divided into 100 cents, so a half dollar is equal to 50 cents. Coins and/or banknotes of that amount are as such denominated at a value of 50 cents. More than a dozen countries have their own unique dollar currency, and out of these not all use the 50 cent piece or half dollar.

Circulating Half Dollars by country
Country(s) / CityUnit of
currency		Technical parametersDescriptionDate of
first minting1
DiameterThicknessWeightCompositionEdgeObverseReverse
Australia and its territories AUD Dodecagon 31.65 mm 2.5 mm 15.55 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel Plain Queen Elizabeth II Coat of Arms 1985
Bahamas BSD N/A N/A N/A Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Coat of Arms A Marlin leaping out of water. 1974
Belize BZD N/A N/A N/A Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Ornamental - Country/Value/Date 1974
Brunei BND Circular 27.70 mm N/A 7.29 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel Reeded Hassanal Bolkiah Coat of Arms 1993
Canada CAD Circular 27.13 mm 1.95 mm 6.9 g 93.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel plating Milled Queen Elizabeth II Coat of Arms 2000
Fiji FJD N/A N/A N/A Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A A Humphead wrasse A takia 2012[1]
Liberia LRD N/A N/A 9.0 g Nickel Clad Steel N/A William R. Tolbert Jr. Coat of Arms & Motto 2000
New Zealand and others. NZD Circular 24.75 mm 1.70 mm 5.0g Nickel-plated steel Plain Queen Elizabeth II HMS Endeavour 1999
Singapore SGD 23 mm 2.45 mm 6.56 g Nickel-plated steel Scalloped Coat of Arms Port of Singapore 2013
Solomon Islands SBD N/A N/A N/A Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Coat of Arms 2012[2]
Taiwan TWD 18 mm N/A 3.0 g 97% copper 2.5% zinc 0.5% tin N/A Mei Blossom Value 1981[3]
United States and others USD 30.61 mm 2.15 mm 11.340 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel Reeded John F. Kennedy USA Presidential Seal 1971[4]

^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.

The obverse side of a United States half dollar

See also

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. "中央銀行發行之貨幣及偵偽鈔辨識".
  4. "Kennedy Half Dollar". www.virmu.com. Retrieved January 31, 2015.


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