Australian 50 Cent Coins: 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Series Boxing 50c

December 20, 2010



Australia 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Sports Collection Series -Boxing 50c

Ranging from 48kg to 91kg+ athletes compete in 11 different weight categories to bout for 11 Commonwealth Games Gold medals. Played at every Commonwealth Games since 1930 Boxing is a mainstay sport at the Games. Jafet Uutoni won the first medal for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006 for his country of Namibia in the Light Flyweight 48kg bout at the final night of boxing at the Games.

Seen above the Boxing commemorative 50c produced by the Royal Australian Mint was one of 16 coins released in a series depicting each core sport of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006. Each coin was released as non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) and were not issued for circulation but purely as collector coins. The informative card issued with the coin features a sticker of "Karak" the Games mascot indicating it is an official licensed product of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Release price was $4.95.

The reverse design is by Royal Australian Mint designer Wojciech Pietranik and depicts Boxing being contested. It also features the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006 logo. The obverse is the standard Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II depicted on all Australian coins since 1999. It is the standard 12 sided 50c shape and weighs 15.55g. It is 31.51mm and made from Cupro Nickel (75% copper and 25% nickel).

As well as the 15 other sporting coins in this series, a commemorative 50c, $1, $5 and $10 coins were also issued. The 15 other sporting coins were released in groups throughout 2005 and early 2006 before the Games started. This Boxing coin was in the last release in early 2006.

15,500 of the complete collection of the sporting coins, the student design 50c and the Queen's Baton Relay $5 were issued in a special folder. 22,602 of these Boxing coins were released which included those in the complete collection.


Posted by harrisk at December 20, 2010 6:29 PM
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