1951 medal commemorating 50 Years of the Commonwealth of Australia

1951
Overview

Circular bronze medal awarded to the school children of Australia in 1951 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Federation of Australia (1901–1951).
The obverse features a detailed engraving of a man walking to the right and hand-sowing wheat seeds from an apron. The date '1901' appears to his left and the date '1951' to his right. The artist's initials, J.W.E., appear at the base on the right.
The reverse of the medal features a star with rays of light emanating from it at the top, the text 'Fifty Years Commonwealth of Australia' in the centre, and seven heads of wheat (representing the six states of Australia and the Northern Territory) at the bottom.
There is a metal loop at the top through which a ribbon or pin would have been threaded for attachment.
The rim of the medal is plain and there is no maker's mark.

Historical information

This medal was issued to school children in 1951 throughout Australia to celebrate the 50th or Jubilee celebration of Federation.
The designer of the medal was Austrian sculptor, John Wolfgang Elischer, whose initials appear on the medal.
It was often issued with a patriotic red, white and blue ribbon and sometimes had an additional bar at the top representing the place of issue.
It was minted by Amor Pty. Ltd. of Sydney.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-119-RoW00970
Item type
Collectibles
Ephemera
Medals
Metal Medallions
Souvenirs
Material
Bronze
Metal
Width
31 mm
Height or length
37 mm
Inscriptions and markings

On obverse of medal:

"1901 1951
J.W.E."

On reverse of medal:

"FIFTY YEARS
COMMONWEALTH
OF AUSTRALIA"

Keywords
Medallions
Commemoration
Commonwealth of Australia
EDUCATION
Souvenirs
Children
History - Social
Place made
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Year
Primary significance criteria
Social or spiritual significance
Comparative significance criteria
Interpretive capacity
Last modified
Thursday, 16 July, 2026
Completeness
100
Recollections of War

Recollections of War

Obverse of 1951 medal commemorating 50 Years of the Commonwealth of Australia
Obverse of 1951 medal commemorating 50 Years of the Commonwealth of Australia
Reverse of 1951 medal commemorating 50 Years of the Commonwealth of Australia
Reverse of 1951 medal commemorating 50 Years of the Commonwealth of Australia

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