Not a Bill, But a Coin

My boyfriend received a 2002 50 cent piece as change the other day….I didn't even know these existed. Does anybody know the scoop on these? Are they quite rare? When was the last time we had a 50 cent piece?

Our local Post Office was giving them out as change awhile back. I took 2 new ones for my kids coin collection. Sorry, thats all I know.

They're not rare. Over 10 million were printed by July last year, and usually only 5 million are made a year. It was to do with the Queen's Jubilee. I got 42 of them.

I had 3 or 4 rolls of them last summer. Saved a half dozen and spent the rest.

Had a great time with them too. Some of the younger clerks had never seen one before. One even asked what country it was from! LOL!

I got 2 rolls last summer and spent them. people were very confused. some didnt want to accept them.

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll just keep this one as it's the only one I've seen in years.

I have a medium-sized coin collection, and therefore have seen lots of them…But just what's the deal with 50-cent coins, anyway? The mint says they're intended to be regular coins, like any other…Why, then, don't they make enough of them to be used in day-to-day affairs? Why don't we ever (or rarely) see them in normal change? Do the collectors swipe them all up before they can be circulated? And if so, why doesn't the mint make more then they do? I know I should be talking about paper money in here but the question's always bugged me…Can anybody offer some insight? Thanks!

They've been out for quite sometime. You just dont see them, too too often . . but im sure soon they will be as common as toonies!

Are you referring to the Queen's 50th year coins? Or just 50-cent coins in general? 'Cuz I know the coin never really went away…I just don't understand why you never see them anymore. What makes you think they'll be common again? I hope you're right…I rather like the coins. They would save me having to carry as many quarters.

I like collecting the 50 cent piece, too and am always surprised at how few people know they are still made and are legal tender. Collecting them is a waste of time and I only do it so that I can use the not-so-mint ones to confuse the young sales clerks. The reason that they will never be valuable as collectables is the reason shown in the comments here…. when someone gets one, it goes in the dresser drawer so they are never really "rare". The queen's jubilee issue almost had them back as normal coins since the post office was instructed to use them as change and there WAS a substantial number minted. I have several rolls – just "because". But they'd still have to make a hell of a lot more to "normalize" them. The US Mint estimated, i think, that each person would need to put away at least 8 of their new dollar coins before they'd actually start using them as tender and i suspect that the 50 cent piece would have a similar status in Canada. Sorry to be long winded, but I love coins as much as paper money.

I was really hoping they'd succeed in recirculating them as normal coins. Do you know if they'll attempt a similar stunt with this year's batch? It still baffles me why people hoard them so much. Don't they realize their value is not that much more? And why don't they produce more? If they did, it's likely people would be less eager to swipe them all up…I apologize for not talking about bills in here, but the 50-cent thing's been bugging me for a while!

I just got $10 worth of 50 cent pieces yesterday! Saw them sitting in a ashtray in the commercial cage at my local Royal Bank branch. When I asked about them, the ladies said that the coins come in occasionally, and when they have enough for a roll ($12.50), they ship them to Regina. So they told me to drop in every couple of weeks if I want more!

I am going to check some of the other banks around here next week to see if I can find more. Maybe someone should try it in another city and report back!

BTW - minted years I received:'69, '72, 79(3), '82, and the rest '02

Wow, you got some older ones. I mean half ones =P.. I got 2 rolls of 2002 a couple months ago, and spent them

I got 41 2002 from the Post Office, but they came with request. I guess I could ask the bank for some, to. That should prove interesting. Interestingly enough, my grandmother kept a fair size amount of old coins and paper money. And my mothe and aunts, and uncle, all got it. We alone got 40 1973 $1 bills, most in AU condition, and mabye 5 lbs of old coins, many silver, plenty 50 cent ones. It would be quite valuable now, as most are in very good condition.

Anybody know when this year's 50-cent coins will become available to banks? I'm going to go out and get a bunch to spend before they're all gone. See if I can bring about a revival in my small town…(I tried to get a bunch last year, but they'd already sold out.)