50 Centavos

Argentina's monetary system underwent significant restructuring in the mid-1950s following the 1955 coup that ousted Juan Perón. The shift away from pure nickel toward nickel-clad steel in this period reflected both currency reform pressures and ongoing efforts to reduce metal costs as inflation began its long climb through the late Peronist and post-Peronist economy.

The five-year production run across multiple Buenos Aires Mint die pairings accounts for the CJ catalog's individual attribution of each year — collectors working the series differentiate 1957 from 1961 strikes by subtle hub differences rather than mint marks.