Description

Royal Australian Mint- The Battle of Passchendaele 1917-2017 50 Cent Uncirculated Coin

2017 50c Uncirculated Coin – The Battle of Passchendaele, The Western Front 1917-2017. This coin is the fourth release in the six-coin Western Front Series, commemorating the centenary of significant battles during World War I.

In September and October of 1917, Australian forces fought alongside the British in the Third Battle of Ypres, aiming to capture the village of Passchendaele in Belgium and secure a path to the coast. Australians played a pivotal role in key engagements at Menin Road, Polygon Wood, and Broodseinde Ridge, with artillery and infantry working in close coordination. However, torrential rains soon turned the battlefield into a quagmire, halting further progress and contributing to the failure of the offensive. The Australians suffered catastrophic losses, with over 38,000 casualties by November—one of the highest tolls of the war.

Mintage: 15,000.