2026 50c 70th Anniversary of Australia’s First Television Broadcast Coloured Uncirculated Coin

Celebrate a milestone in Australian cultural history with the 2026 50c 70th Anniversary of Australia’s First Television Broadcast Coloured Uncirculated Coin, issued by the Royal Australian Mint.

Australian television officially began on 16 September 1956, when TCN-9 commenced broadcasting in Sydney and Bruce Gyngell welcomed viewers to a new era of entertainment and communication. Seventy years later, the Royal Australian Mint commemorates that defining moment with one of the most distinctive coloured 50 cent releases of 2026. 

The reverse, designed by A. Baggio, incorporates more than 45 symbols and design elements representing the extraordinary variety of Australian television across news, sport, drama, entertainment and children’s programming. These are overlaid with vibrant colours inspired by the familiar television test patterns of the broadcast era. 

Presented in its official Royal Australian Mint card featuring a wonderfully nostalgic vintage television design, this release combines Australian numismatics with a piece of broadcasting history.

Coin specifications: 2026 Australian 50 cents; cupro-nickel; 15.55 g; 31.51 mm; coloured uncirculated finish; maximum mintage 50,000; obverse by Daniel Thorne; reverse by A. Baggio; supplied in the original Royal Australian Mint presentation card. 

A fantastic addition for collectors of modern Australian commemoratives, coloured coins and Australian cultural memorabilia