50p Coins
SOLD OUT in TWO HOURS – The UK’s scarcest 50p just became even harder to get hold of!
To celebrate 50 years since the release of the first seven sided coin in 1969, today The Royal Mint has released a set of five carefully curated commemorative edition 50p coins, including the UK’s most sought-after 50p in circulation, the Kew Gardens.
But within just two hours since going on sale, the overwhelming response from collectors has seen the entire range of Base Proof, Silver Proof and Gold Proof sets completely sell out!
The highly anticipated 50 years of the 50p set is undeniably appealing to collectors and you can find out why these coins sold out so quickly below…
The UK’s first seven sided coin
It was in 1967 when the Deputy Master of The Royal Mint approached the Decimal Currency Board to discuss the introduction of a new coin as a more economical replacement for the 10 shilling note, which was only lasting five months in circulation at the time, compared to the fifty year lifespan of a coin. With much difficulty and debate to decide upon the best shape, the seven sided design was finally chosen and released as the first coin in the new decimal series.
The original reverse was designed by Christopher Ironside and featured the seated Britannia alongside a lion. This coin was issued between 1969 and 2008, after which The Royal Mint held a public competition to redesign the reverse of UK coins, with Matthew Dent’s winning shield design featuring on the reverse of definitive 50p coins since.
It seems only fitting therefore that the first 50p chosen to commemorate the coin’s 50th birthday is the ‘New Pence’ Britannia featuring Ironside’s design, a firm favourite for collectors, representing a numismatic milestone for Britain.
Britannia 50p
1969 Britannia ‘New Pence’ 50p
Alongside the definitive Britannia design, commemorative 50ps have been issued throughout the years to mark the various significant British anniversaries.
Within this set you can see not only the Britannia, but also the Girl Guides 50p which was issued in 2010 to celebrate 100 years of Girlguiding in the UK, the Scouting 50p which was issued in 2007 to mark 100 years of Scouting in the UK, the Kew Gardens 50p which was issued in 2009 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Roger Bannister 50p which was issued in 2004 to mark the 50th anniversary if the first four minute mile.
Base Proof set
50 years of the 50p Base Proof set – SOLD OUT WITHIN TWO HOURS OF LAUNCH
These retrospective reverse designs taken from the last 50 years create a wonderful set of coins to commemorate the 50p coin, however we all know that the coin collectors are most excited about is the re-issue of the Kew Gardens 50p.
UK’s scarcest 50p
Initially when the coin was released in 2009 its rarity was overlooked, however in 2014 The Royal Mint revealed just how scarce this coin really is, with only 210,000 coins being struck. From this moment, prices on the secondary market began to skyrocket and collectors have since been desperate to add the coin to their collection, regarding the coin as one of the biggest prizes in the collecting world.
And whilst the 2019 re-issue of the most highly collected UK coin could have been a chance for collectors who have not already got this coin in their collection to finally own one, the very limited number of sets available means that this coin has already been snapped up by those lucky enough to secure the collector’s edition of the coin in Proof quality as part of the five coin commemorative set.
Gold set
50 years of the 50p Gold Proof set – COMPLETELY SOLD OUT IN TWO HOURS!
The set has been made available in base Proof, Silver Proof and Gold Proof specifications, at a very limited number. In fact, the full range of 3,500 base Proof sets, 1,969 of the Silver and just 75 Gold sets have completely SOLD OUT!
It comes as no surprise that this set has been received so well, but what do you think about the coins featured and were you lucky enough to secure one for yourself?
Own the Masterpiece 50p Collection
The Masterpiece 50p Collection is a careful selection of some of the most sought-after 50p designs from the last 15 years, with themes ranging from the UK’s entry to the EEC to marking the 950th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
The Royal Mint to re-issue the UK’s RAREST 50p
The UK’s RAREST 50p coin in circulation will be re-issued by The Royal Mint in 2019 it has been confirmed.
The Kew Gardens 50p hit the headlines in February 2014 when it was revealed as the most scarce 50p in circulation. At the peak of the hype surrounding its value, some coins were exchanging hands for hundreds of pounds!
According to the Royal Proclamation, published on 8 November, a total of TEN new 50p coins will be issued in 2019, all of which will be re-issues of previous designs.
The coins to be re-issued comprise:
- Britannia 50p – the figure of Britannia, seated beside a lion, with a shield resting against her right side, holding a trident in her right hand and an olive branch in her left hand; and the figure “50” together with the words “NEW PENCE”;
- D-Day Landings 50p– a design representing the D-Day landings of the Allied invasion force heading for Normandy and filling the sea and sky, with the inscription “50 PENCE”;
- Roger Bannister 50p – the legs of a running athlete with a stylized stopwatch in the background and, with the inscription “50 PENCE”;
- Victoria Cross Medal 50p – a depiction of the obverse and reverse of a Victoria Cross with the date “29. JAN 1856” in the centre of the reverse of the Cross, with the inscription “VC” “FIFTY PENCE”;
- Victoria Cross Soldier 50p – a depiction of a soldier carrying a wounded comrade with an outline of the Victoria Cross surrounded by a sunburst effect in the background with the inscription “FIFTY PENCE” ;
- Boy Scouts 50p – a fleur-de-lis superimposed over a globe and accompanied by the inscription “BE PREPARED” and the dates “∙ 1907 ∙” and “∙ 2007 ∙”, and the denomination “FIFTY PENCE”;
- Kew Gardens 50p – a design showing the pagoda, a building strongly associated with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, encircled by a vine and accompanied by the dates “1759” and “2009”, with the word “KEW” at the base of the pagoda;
- Battle of Hastings 50p – a design showing the scene from the Bayeux tapestry depicting King Harold with an arrow in his eye accompanied by the inscription “BATTLE OF HASTINGS 1066” and the date “2016”;
- Battle of Britain 50p – a design showing airmen running to their planes with enemy aircraft overhead accompanied by the inscription “THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 1940”;
- Girl Guides 50p – a design which depicts a repeating pattern of the current identity of Girlguiding UK, accompanied by the inscription “CELEBRATING ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF GIRLGUIDING UK” and the denomination “50 PENCE”.
It’s expected the coins will be issued in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 50p with commemorative collector’s editions in Cupro-Nickel, Silver and Gold being made available. It is not yet clear whether any of the new 50ps will be issued for circulation.
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What’s your favourite 50p coin design of the year 2018?
We’re on the hunt for the best Coin Design of 2018 as part of the 2018 Change Checker Awards and we need your help! With over 50 new coins released this year, we’ve decided to shortlist the coins by denomination and then determine one overall winner from the top 10p, 50p, £2 and £5 coins as voted by Change Checkers!
50p Coins
Seven 50p coins have been released this year, including the third series of Beatrix Potter 50ps and the first ever UK Paddington 50p coins!
So which 2018 50p coin do you think deserves to be named the best of 2018?
Cast your vote now using the poll at the bottom of the page and find out more about the coins that have been released this year below!
Representation of the People Act 50p
In 2018 The Royal Mint released a 50p to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of The Representation of the People Act being passed. The 50p was designed by Stephen Taylor and features five men and women in line to vote, with a woman triumphantly raising a voting card.
Peter Rabbit 50p
The 2018 50p coin is the third UK coin to feature the much-loved children’s character Peter Rabbit. Struck by The Royal Mint, this is the first coin in the third series of Beatrix Potter 50ps which proved to be extremely popular with coin collectors in 2016 and 2017. Designed by Emma Noble, the reverse features Peter Rabbit munching on radishes.
Flopsy Bunny 50p
The 2018 Flopsy Bunny 50p coin has been issued to celebrate one of Beatrix Potter’s most loved children’s tales, ‘The tale of Flopsy Bunny’. This is the first UK coin to feature Flopsy Bunny and has been designed by Emma Noble to feature the adorable character on the reverse of the coin.
Tailor of Gloucester 50p
The 2018 Tailor of Gloucester 50p coin has been issued to celebrate one of Beatrix Potter’s most loved children’s tales, ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’ and is the first UK coin to feature The Tailor of Gloucester. As part of the third series of Beatrix Potter 50ps, Emma Noble designed this coin to feature The Tailor of Gloucester on the reverse.
Mrs Tittlemouse 50p
The 2018 Mrs. Tittlemouse 50p coin has been issued to celebrate one of Beatrix Potter’s most loved children’s tales, ‘The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse’ and is the first UK coin to feature Mrs. Tittlemouse. Designed by Emma Noble for the 2018 Beatrix Potter series, the design features Mrs Tittlemouse on the reverse of the coin.
Paddington at the Station 50p
To celebrate the iconic 60th anniversary of Michael Bond’s novel “A Bear Called Paddington”, The Royal Mint issued potentially the most sought-after 50p ever. Designed by David Knapton and based on the modern adaptation from the CGI-live action movie, this coin features Paddington on his suitcase in front of the station.
Paddington at the Palace 50p
This lovely design by David Knapton is the second coin issued by the Royal Mint in the 2018 Paddington series. These coins represent the first time Paddington has featured on official UK coinage and are definitely highly collectable and this particular design features Paddington waving a Union Flag outside Buckingham Palace.
The Snowman 50p
To celebrate the festive season, this coin has been issued by The Royal to mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive tale The Snowman™. Designed by Natasha Ratcliffe, the new coin depicts the boy and the snowman flying through the night sky above Brighton Pier.
With so many beautiful coins issued this year it certainly makes picking a winner incredibly tough, but now’s the time for you to cast your vote!
The winning 50p will then be entered into our Coin Design of the Year vote as part of the 2018 Change Checker Awards, alongside the top 10p, £2 and £5 coins from 2018 to determine which coin should be crowned the overall winner!
The voting has now closed and the results can be found below:
It’s now time for you to vote for your overall winner, shortlisted from Change Checker’s favourite A-Z 10p, 50p, £2 and £5 coin of the year.
View our full range of CERTIFIED BU 50p coins here >>
