The term "half dollar" refers to a half-unit of several currencies that are named "dollar". One dollar ($1) is normally divided into subsidiary currency of 100 cents, so a half dollar is equal to 50 cents. Although more than a dozen countries have their own unique dollar currency, not all of them use a 50 cent piece or half dollar. This article only includes half dollars and 50 cent pieces that were intended for circulation, those that add up to units of dollars, and those in the form of a coin.
Note: The blue linked years included in the tables link to articles about the coins.
Currently minted
Circulating half dollars by country Country(s) / City Unit of currency Technical parameters Description Date of first minting Diameter Thickness Weight Composition Edge Obverse Reverse Australia and its territories AUD 31.65 mm 2.5 mm 15.55 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel Plain Queen Elizabeth II Coat of Arms1985 Bahamas BSD 29 mm N/A 10.51 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Coat of Arms A Marlin leaping out of water.1974 BelizeBZD N/A N/A N/A Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Ornamental - Country/Value/Date1974 BruneiBND 27.70 mm N/A 7.29 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel Reeded Hassanal Bolkiah Coat of Arms1993 Canada CAD 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 Arms2000 Fiji FJD N/A N/A N/A Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A A Humphead wrasse A takia2012 Hong Kong HKD 22.5 mm 1.72 mm 4.92 g Brass-plated steel Milled Bauhinia Value 1993 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 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 Trinidad and Tobago TTD N/A N/A N/A Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Coat of Arms Value 1976 United States and othersUSD 30.61 mm 2.15 mm 11.34 g Cupronickel: 75% copper 25% nickel Reeded John F. Kennedy USA Presidential Seal 1971
Formerly minted
Former half dollars by country Country(s) / City Unit of currency Technical parameters Description Introduced Withdrawn Diameter Thickness Weight Composition Edge Obverse Reverse Bermuda BMD 30.5 mm N/A 12.60 g 75% copper 25% nickel Milled Queen Elizabeth II Coat of arms 1970 1990 Confederate States of America CSD 30.6 mm N/A 12.44 g 90% silver 10% copper Reeded Seated Liberty Peterson CSA seal 1861 1865 Cook Islands CID 32 mm N/A N/A 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Value 1972 2016 Crown Colony of North Borneo MBBD N/A N/A N/A 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Value 1953 1969 Crown Colony of Sarawak MBBD N/A N/A N/A 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Value 1953 1967 Dominion of Newfoundland NFD 29.85 mm N/A 11.78 g 92.5% silver 7.5% copper Reeded Reigning British Monarch Value 1870 1949 Federation of Malaya MBBD N/A N/A N/A 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Value 1953 1969 Hawaiian Kingdom HD N/A N/A N/A 90% silver 10% copper N/A King Kalākaua Value 1883 1900 Jamaica JMD 31.37 mm N/A 12.43 g 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Coat of arms Marcus Garvey 1976 1990 Kiribati KID 31.65 mm N/A N/A 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Coat of arms Pandanus tree 1979 In circulation Sarawak SD N/A N/A N/A 80% silver 20% copper 40% silver 60% copper N/A White Rajahs N/A 1858 1953 Taiwan TWD 18 mm N/A 3.0 g 97% copper 2.5% zinc 0.5% tin N/A Mei Blossom Value 1981 Tuvalu TVD 32 mm N/A N/A 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II Octopus 1976 In circulation West Indies Federation BWI N/A N/A N/A 75% copper 25% nickel N/A Queen Elizabeth II N/A 1955 1981
See also Fractional currency - includes 50 cent notes formerly issued by the United States. Confederate States dollar - includes Confederate 50 cent notes. Japanese invasion money - includes 50 cent notes from World War II. Fifty pence, a name for multiple currency demonimations also worth half of a major unit
Notes
References