50 Cents - Elizabeth II 4th Portrait - Regent Bowerbird

Part of Perth Mint's ongoing colored wildlife series, this issue uses pad printing — a process borrowed from industrial manufacturing that transfers ink from a silicone pad onto curved metal surfaces. The technique was adopted by several mints in the early 2000s as an alternative to enamel inlay, though it remains more vulnerable to wear and surface lifting over time, which is why mint-state examples stored flat and undisturbed hold their color far better than circulated pieces.