50p Coins
The Gruffalo returns to UK coins
With the recent release of the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p, let’s take a closer look at why the previous Gruffalo 50ps were so popular!
Some of the most popular coins are often those that not only have captivating designs, but those that tell a story, and the 2019 Gruffalo® 50p and the 2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p coins are prime examples. These coins gained immense popularity among collectors, and it’s not hard to see why...
The story behind the coins
The Gruffalo, a beloved children’s book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, first hit the shelves in 1999 and has since sold a whopping 13.5 million copies! The story has enchanted both children and adults, with its whimsical tale of a clever mouse who outsmarts a host of woodland creatures, including the fearsome Gruffalo.
The Gruffalo has also become somewhat of a festive favourite, as it was adapted into a short film for BBC One in December 2009 by production company Magic Light Pictures.
2019 Gruffalo 50p
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this iconic story, The Royal Mint released two commemorative 50ps in 2019, the first featuring the Gruffalo himself.
The reverse design, created by Magic Light Pictures, features the Gruffalo smirking mischievously with all his distinctive features.
When it was first released in February 2019, the Gruffalo 50p sparked huge excitement across the UK, inspiring a whole new generation of collectors.
It became one of the most sought-after 50ps of recent years, with more than 239,000 Brilliant Uncirculated 50ps sold and all 25,500 Silver Proof Gruffalo 50ps selling out.
2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p
Following the success of the first release, The Royal Mint delighted collectors once again by issuing a second Gruffalo 50p in October 2019. This time, the design featured the Gruffalo alongside the cunning little mouse, capturing a key moment from the story.
The intricate detailing highlights the contrast between the imposing Gruffalo and the small but brave mouse.
Collectors had been eagerly awaiting the release of this coin since The Royal Mint teased a second Gruffalo coin a few months earlier. There was speculation about what might feature on the second coin, from the charming fox to the sly snake, but the clever little mouse was a welcome addition to the design.
Similarly to the first Gruffalo 50p, the Gruffalo and Mouse 50p was incredibly popular with collectors, and just shy of 100,000 Brilliant Uncirculated 50ps were sold!
2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p
The brand new 2024 UK Gruffalo’s Child 50p celebrates 20 years since the release of the bestselling Gruffalo sequel, The Gruffalo’s Child. The design features the Gruffalo’s Child and the cunning mouse, bringing to life a pivotal moment in the story.
Secure your 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p for just £4.99 (+p&p) >>
UK 50p issued to wish Team GB and ParalympicsGB luck in the 2024 Paris Olympics!
As excitement for the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games builds, The Royal Mint have issued a new UK 50p to celebrate Team GB and ParalympicsGB. The 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p not only commemorates our athletes’ dedication and achievements, but also represents the unity and pride of the United Kingdom as the teams prepare to complete on the world stage.
Return to Paris
The Olympic Games will return to Paris in 2024, exactly 100 years since the city last hosted the games. The Paralympics will also be held in Paris for the first time this year, making the games the biggest sporting event ever held in France.
Credit: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Did you know? The Ancient Olympic Games have been dated as far back as 776 BC, however the first modern international Summer Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, where 14 nations competed in 9 sports.
A tribute to excellence
You may recognise this coin as it actually featured in the 2024 Annual Coin set at the beginning of the year, however its now been individually issued.
In the centre of the design are two geometric athletes in action – one representing Team GB, the other representing ParalympicsGB – set against the iconic Union Jack. If you look closely, you’ll even see the Eiffel Tower at the bottom of the design, a nod to the hosting city.
This powerful imagery highlights Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s strength and resilience, along with the nation’s unwavering support.
A history of Olympic coins
The 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p isn’t the first UK coin to be issued celebrating the Olympics, but it is the first UK sporting 50p to feature King Charles III on the obverse.
2011 Olympic 50ps
Perhaps the most well-known commemorative 50p series was issued in 2011 when 29 new coins were released, each representing a different Olympic sport.
The Olympic 50p series created a frenzy, and not just among collectors…millions rose to the challenge of collecting all 29, and for many, this marked the start of their interest in coins. So popular were these 50ps, that The Royal Mint estimates as many as 75% of them have been removed from circulation by collectors!
2016 Team GB 50p
To the delight of many Olympic 50p collectors, The Royal Mint issued a special 50p in 2016 to wish Team GB success for the Rio Olympic Games.
The coin’s obverse features a swimmer with the Team GB logo, the Olympic rings and the inscription ‘TEAM GB’. Designed by Tim Sharp, the coin was officially endorsed by Team GB and celebrated the spirit of British Olympians.
Dual-Dated Team GB 50p
Back in 2020, a new Team GB 50p was released as part of the 2020 Annual Coin Set to celebrate Team GB’s participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the Olympic Games to 2021, this 50p was never individually released in 2020…
Excitingly, this meant that there were two versions of the coin – one with the obverse dated 2020 from the 2020 Annual Coin Set and one with the obverse dated 2021 from the coin’s individual release, making it one of only a small handful of UK 50ps to feature a dual-date.
Secure the 2024 UK Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p
Click here to add the 2024 Team GB & ParalympicsGB 50p to your collection for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>
UK 50p commemorates the 80th Anniversary of D-Day
2024 marks 80 years since the day that turned the tide of the Second World War, and in commemoration, a UK 50p has been released to honour the D-Day landings.
Add the 2024 UK Day-Day 50p to your collection >>
A momentous day
On 6th June 1944, 156,000 Allied troops arrived in Normandy by land, sea and air to launch their assault on Nazi-occupied France. Codenamed Operation Neptune but commonly referred to as D-Day, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history.
Image Credit: SHAEF [Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces] Public Relations Division., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
With this year marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day, these events will soon move beyond living memory, so it’s now more important than ever to commemorate this incredibly poignant day in history.
“We shall fight on the beaches”
The design of the 2024 D-Day 50p, created by renowned sculptor David Lawrence in collaboration with Imperial War Museums, depicts brave Allied troops risking their lives on that fateful day. In the foreground, soldiers disembark a landing craft onto the beaches whilst planes fly overhead approaching by air.
The landings took place at five assault beaches along a 50 mile stretch of the Normandy coast, they were given the codenames Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword – all of which are inscribed along the bottom of the design.
Recreated in sand
To celebrate the unveiling of the 2024 UK D-Day 50p, the coin’s design was recreated in the sand on Gold beach in Normandy. The sand art measured 35 metres across and took more than 5 hours to create!
Image credit: The Royal Mint
French sand artist Jehan-Benjamin Tarain worked with fellow artist Sam Dougados to create the piece. Tarain said that is was ‘extremely special’ to be part of a project that “plays an important reminder of the united allied effort between French and British forces 80 years ago”.
Previous UK D-Day coins
This isn’t the first time that D-Day has been commemorated on a UK coin…
Most recently, the 2019 D-Day £2 coin was issued to mark 75 years since the landings. It featured a design by renowned Royal Mint engraver, Stephen Taylor, showing 5 arrows, each pointing across the English Channel to one of the Normandy beaches. Although this coin didn’t enter circulation, it was extremely popular with collectors.
A £2 coin that did enter circulation is the 2005 60th Anniversary of the end of World War Two £2, which was issued to mark 60 years since Winston Churchill announced VE Day – marking the end of World War Two. The reverse design features a depiction of St Paul’s Cathedral which survived the Blitz to become a great symbol of hope to a war-torn nation. The edge inscription reads – IN VICTORY: MAGNANIMITY, IN PEACE: GOODWILL – part of the famous maxim that prefaces Churchill’s history of the Second World War.
The 1994 D-Day 50p was issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Normandy Landings. This coin was originally issued in the larger 50p specification, meaning you’re no longer able to find it in your change. It was later re-issued in 2019 in the smaller 50p specification, however this version didn’t enter circulation.
Interestingly, the 1994 D-Day 50p was voted the all time favourite 50p coin by Change Checkers, so I’m sure the 2024 D-Day 50p will prove just as popular with collectors.
Secure the 2024 UK D-Day 50p
As this will likely be the last milestone anniversary of D-Day to be observed by those who served, it’s hugely important to commemorate this moment in history.
Add the 2024 UK D-Day 50p to your collection for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>