The 50 cents dated 2014 only reached Zimbabweans’ pockets in March 2015, later than the other bond coins of the first release.

Zimbabwe needed bond coins because of a shortage of change: since 2009 the country had been running on foreign currencies, and small cents were scarce. The Reserve Bank issued its own coins equal in value to US cents: the 1, 5, 10 and 25 cents came out on 18 December 2014, and the 50 cents followed in the spring of 2015.

The design is shared by the whole range: «RBZ» and the date on the obverse, a large «50» between «FIFTY CENTS» and «BOND COIN» on the reverse; the country’s name does not appear. It was struck by the South African Mint, and the 50 cents was issued with dates from 2014 to 2017, so the 2014 coin is the first date of the denomination.

In a collection of Zimbabwe’s bond money it is the top cent value, without which the run of cents is incomplete. Grade UNC: the coin has never circulated, shows no wear and keeps its mint lustre.

Other coins of this country and issues on related themes can be found in the VPcoins catalogue.