McDonald's celebrates Big Mac's birthday with free sandwiches

McDonald's is celebrating the Big Mac's 50th anniversary with the MacCoin, a commemorative coin which can be redeemed for a free sandwich.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

McDonald's is celebrating the Big Mac's 50th anniversary with the MacCoin, a commemorative coin which can be redeemed for a free sandwich.

Normally the person celebrating a birthday receives the gifts, but in the Big Mac’s case, McDonald’s customers are the ones walking away with free stuff.

In honor of the iconic sandwich’s 50th birthday, McDonald’s is offering the MacCoin, a limited edition coin that fans across the world will begin receiving with the purchase of a Big Mac beginning Thursday at 14,000 participating restaurants across the U.S. The MacCoin can be collected or redeemed for a free Big Mac at participating locations beginning Friday through the end of the year.

We're celebrating 50 years of Big Mac by creating a global currency—MacCoin—each one worth a free Big Mac around the 🌎, with 5 collectible designs for 5 legendary decades. Starting August 2, collect your own MacCoins when you buy a Big Mac while supplies last. #BigMac50 pic.twitter.com/xn8Z9GNLSp

— McDonald's (@McDonalds) July 29, 2018

“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,” McDonald’s President and CEO Steve Easterbrook said in a news release. “So 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.”

WATCH: McDonald’s introduces the MacCoin

More than 6.2 million MacCoins will be distributed globally. The commemorative coins feature five unique designs representing a decade of the Big Mac — the 1970s showcase the decade’s flower power; the ‘80s feature pop art; the ‘90s have bold, abstract shapes; the early 2000s focus on technology, and the ‘10s call attention to the evolution of communication.

Jim Delligatti was the inventor of the Big Mac. According to McDonald’s, the restaurant chain sold 1.3 billion Big Macs last year.

“When my great-grandfather Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac at his grill in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he just wanted to make his local customers happy,” Nick Delligatti, fourth-generation McDonald’s owner-operator, said. “August 2 would have been his 100th birthday, and 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.”