The Royal Australian Mint has released a collectible coin to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the iconic television show Countdown. 

An uncirculated 50 cent coin will be on sale from early this morning. 

Hosted by the legendary Molly Meldrum, Countdown first hit small screens around the country in 1974. 

Royal Australian Mint CEO Leigh Gordon said the coloured coin would “certainly resonate” with Australians. 

“It’s a beautiful 50 cent piece that comes as a coin in a card, a collectible coin, and it’s got the colour of the countdown set on it and a stylised TV,” he said.

Fifty thousand Countdown coins will be available. 

Coin commemorating service of animals in wars also released

The mint is also releasing a purple poppy $2 coin that commemorates war animals. 

Two million coins will go into circulation today, while 40,000 coins will be available for coin collectors to come and buy at coin swaps around the country, Mr Gordon explained. 

“It’ll be a coin that should have quite a far reach, the purple poppy coin,” he said.

Mr Gordon hoped that number of coins would mean they would stay in circulation for many years to come. 

He said many would already be aware of the story of Simpson and his donkey, but hoped the coin could help share some of the many other stories about animals in wartime. 

“You know, carrier pigeons, thousands of horses went to the to the Middle East in the First World War … we have military working dogs that are a very active part of the defence capability,” he said.

A small number of silver purple poppy coins — around 7,500 — will also go on sale. 

Decline in circulating coins but collectibles popular

With people lining up at the mint from yesterday evening, the coins appeared to have hit the right note. 

Mr Gordon acknowledged there had been a decline in circulating coins, but said this had allowed the mint to refocus on collectibles and the investment side of things. 

“So it certainly makes us proud to think, ‘Hey, we’ve picked a product that that the public really wants’.”

Previous coins released by the mint had led to some punters speculating on them and selling them for higher prices. 

But Mr Gordon said he hoped people would be interested in collecting coins because they had a connection with them and their story instead. 

Some of those people who wanted the coins so much they queued up at the mint from last night, included Stephen Offnar who had travelled from Armidale, New South Wales. 

He arrived around midday yesterday, hoping to get his hands on all of the coins being released today. 

It wasn’t the first time the coin collector had made the pilgrimage to wait for a new coin. 

Mr Offnar was joined by Todd O’Rourke from Canberra.

The pair were friends through social media, where their shared passion for coin collecting had united them. 

He said he was particularly excited to see the new purple poppy coin in silver with the ‘C’ from the Canberra Mint on it.

“Being silver, it will be highly collectible and one to hold for years to come,” Mr O’Rourke explained.  

As for why he was camping out, Mr O’Rourke had learned through bitter experience. 

Last time he arrived at 4pm, and been 500th in the queue. 

People have also been able to register for a ballot to purchase coins online and through the mint’s distribution network around the country.

Doors open at the Royal Australian Mint at 8:30am.

With a Super Bowl Halftime Show under her belt, Katy Perry is no stranger to entertaining football fans as she gears up for this weekend’s AFL Grand Final performance.

“That’s what’s going to be the most exciting [thing] to hear, 100,000 people singing all the songs at the top of their lungs,” Perry told ABC News Breakfast.

“I know that the performances for the show have just kind of started happening in the past few years, so I’m really excited to take it up a notch,” she added.

Butterflies, helicopters and a futuristic-looking Tesla will make an appearance at the big performance, hinted Perry.

Reportedly, the American singer will perform some of her classic hits along with a song from her controversial new album, 143.

The album that came out a week ago has received significant backlash, with Perry’s single Woman’s World becoming her worst-performing single release from an album in her 16-year career.

From the lyrics to the music video, the song has not translated well for fans and critics alike.

And it’s not just the satirical messaging that is not sitting well with people, it’s also the song and the comeback album’s link to Dr. Luke. 

Real name Lukasz Gottwald, Dr. Luke was accused in 2014 by pop star Kesha, in a dismissed claim, of sexual assault and emotional abuse, allegations he has always denied.

Since the release, Perry has claimed the album, in particular the Woman’s World single was satire. 

She credited the album’s creation to her growth as a mother.

“So much has bloomed, and I feel so much wholeness,” she said on becoming a mother.

“I’ve been operating and riding from that place of just feeling, feeling that unconditional love for the first time.”

Perry said the album comes from that joy of unconditional love and her “connection with femininity”.

143, the album name in texting lingo, stands for “I love you”, an ode from the singer to her realisation of total and irrevocable love.

Perry and the Penguin

With the footy frenzy at its peak, as Sydney Swans take on Brisbane Lions on Saturday, the pop star finds herself at the very centre of it.

While Perry is thrilled to be the entertainment at the G – it is not footy but rather a fluffy creature from Australia occupying her thoughts.

“I don’t know if I’m actually allowed to hug it, but it really looks huggable,” said Perry.

Pesto is a chocolate-brown, obscenely fluffy penguin at the Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium.

The big baby penguin went viral earlier this month and not surprisingly the American pop star was not immune to his chubby charm.

“If I could just stand two feet away from it and feed it a fish, I would love that,” laughed Perry.

So perhaps along with red and purple scarves, some Pesto pictured flags will be present in the stands this Saturday at the MCG.

While here in Melbourne, Perry has announced a tour in Australia in 2025.

It’s called The Lifetimes Tour, with Perry revealing the name as a tribute to her fans who have grown alongside her songs.

“I see photos that they [Fans] show me online of them being 12-13, and now they’re like, 26 or 28… and they’ve been enjoying my music the whole time, and that feels like an incredible lifetime,” shared Perry.

“So, it’ll be a really great celebration. I think Australia will know how to do it.”

Perry’s Aussie tour kicks off on June 9 in Sydney.

The tour wraps up in Perth on June 22 with the artist set to perform in Melbourne (June 12 and 13) and Brisbane (June 17).