Catalog
50 Cents - Leonard I
| Issuer | Hutt River |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976-1978 |
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| Value | 50 Cents (0.50) |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed effigy of Prince Leonard I facing right, rendered in moderate relief with naturalistic detail to the hair. Flanking the portrait are two wheat or laurel sprigs rising symmetrically from the lower field. The legend PRINCE LEONARD arcs along the upper periphery, while the four-digit date appears in the lower field below the bust truncation. A toothed border runs along the full circumference. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central device depicting the coat of arms of the Principality of Hutt River, featuring an eagle displayed with a pair of scales (balance) as principal charge, symbolising justice. The denomination FIFTY CENTS appears within the design, and the legend HUTT RIVER PROVINCE encircles the arms along the periphery, interrupted by raised dot separators. A toothed border frames the entire reverse field. |
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| Additional information |
Hutt River Province declared unilateral secession from Australia in 1970 after a dispute over wheat production quotas — Leonard Casley, a farmer, invoked an obscure provision of imperial law to claim the action legally sound. Whether that argument had merit is debatable, but Australian authorities never forcibly dissolved the province, and it persisted for five decades. These coins were issued as genuine currency of the micronation, circulating primarily as souvenirs and diplomatic curiosities rather than in any commercial economy.