Australian 1982 Uncirculated Mint Set
The Set
The 1982 mint set commemorated the XII Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane - the third Commonwealth Games hosted by Australia, after Sydney in 1938 and Perth in 1962, and the first in the city - which ran from 30 September to 9 October 1982. As in 1970 and 1977, the theme was carried by the fifty cent coin. The set contains the six standard denominations housed unsealed in a plastic wallet, was priced at $3.00, and had a mintage of 195,950 - well up on the previous year's 120,000, reflecting the nationwide enthusiasm the Games generated.
The Games Fifty Cent
The commemorative fifty cent honours the Brisbane Games, and it proved to be one of the most abundant commemoratives Australia has issued: nearly 50 million were struck for circulation, where the coin became a pocket piece for a generation of Australians. That abundance makes circulating examples inexpensive today, and the mint set remains the natural way to acquire the coin in true uncirculated condition, sealed alongside its five standard companions.
The remaining coins - the 1 cent, 2 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent and 20 cent - carry the Arnold Machin obverse and Stuart Devlin's standard reverses. As with other sets of the unsealed-wallet era, examples with bright untoned coins and undamaged wallets are worth a premium over the commonly seen toned sets.
| Set details | |
|---|---|
| Packaging | Plastic wallet, coins unsealed |
| Coins | 6 (1 cent to 50 cent) |
| Commemorative design | XII Commonwealth Games 50 cent |
| Mintage | 195,950 |
| Issue price | $3.00 |
| File:Australian UNC Set 1982 packaging.jpg | File:Australian UNC Set 1982 coins.jpg | The 1982 Commonwealth Games set in its plastic wallet. |
| File:Australian UNC Set 1982 Games 50c.jpg | The Brisbane Commonwealth Games commemorative fifty cent. |
