50 Cents - Elizabeth II

The Bahamas gained independence from Britain in July 1973, and the Central Bank — established that same year — moved quickly to assert a distinct national coinage separate from the colonial issues that preceded it. This series launched in 1974 represents the first extended definitive coinage of the sovereign Bahamian state, though Elizabeth II's effigy was retained as head of state under the Commonwealth arrangement.

The 26-year production run without a major compositional change is notable for a small island economy that weathered significant currency pressures during the 1980s debt crises affecting much of the Caribbean.