McDonald’s MacCoin Celebrates Big Mac’s 50th Anniversary

Who doesn’t love two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun?

McDonald’s beloved Big Mac is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and today, the restaurant revealed that the iconic burger will be celebrated with a special commemorative coin.

The limited-edition MacCoin is not only a collectors’ item for foodies who love the fast food franchise, but also a sort of rare form of international currency.

Starting at lunch time on August 2, McDonald’s customers can receive one MacCoin with the purchase of a Big Mac at one of the 14,000 restaurants participating in the promotion across the United States, while supplies last, of course.

Then, from August 3 until the end of 2018, burger lovers can redeem their MacCoins for free Big Macs at participating McDonald’s restaurants not only in America, but in more than 50 participating countries worldwide.

In a statement, McDonald’s said that it expects to distribute more than 6.2 million MacCoins across the Earth.

“Since it was introduced at a family-owned McDonald’s restaurant 50 years ago, the Big Mac has traversed the globe and is enjoyed in cities from Shanghai to Chicago, providing delicious, feel good moments to people all over the world,” said Steve Easterbrook, the president and CEO of McDonald’s.

“We wanted a global celebration as unique as the burger itself. The MacCoin transcends currencies to commemorate our global iconic burger while giving customers all over the world a chance to enjoy a Big Mac on us.”

The front side of each metal MacCoin celebrates the Big Mac’s big 50th anniversary, and the back sides have one of five unique designs representing a different decade in the life of the Big Mac.

The 1970s MacCoin showcases flower power; the 1980s one alludes to pop art; the 1990s coin has bold, abstract shapes; the coin for the 2000s focuses on turn of the century technology; and the 2010s coin is all about the evolution of communication.

Also of note is the seven different languages featured across the various designs, which represents many of the countries participating in the promotion: Arabic, English, Indonesian, Mandarin, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.

August 2 was chosen as the date that MacCoins will be handed out because it would have been the 100th birthday of Jim Delligatti, the genius who invented the Big Mac.

“When my great-grandfather invented the Big Mac at his grill in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he just wanted to make his local customers happy,” said Nick Delligatti, a fourth-generation McDonald’s owner-operator.

“I believe he would be very proud knowing his humble sandwich has made such a lasting impression that people all around the world can enjoy it wherever they find a McDonald’s.”