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Does your Paddington at the Palace 50p have the rare ‘crisp packet’ error?
It’s always exciting when a new coin ‘error’ or ‘mis strike’ is discovered, and I’ve just come across one I haven’t seen before – the Paddington at the Palace 50p ‘crisp packet’ error.
Paddington on UK Coins
Paddington Bear first appeared on UK coins in 2018, when 2 new 50ps were issued to celebrate 60 years since the beloved bear’s appearance in Michael Bond’s classic childhood tale. The first coin featured Paddington at his namesake train station, followed by him waving a flag in front of Buckingham Palace.
He continued his adventures around London in 2019 when a further 2 50ps were issued, showing Paddington in front of the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.
‘Crisp Packet’ Error
In the bottom left of the 2018 Paddington at the Palace 50p is a path in front of the Palace railings, just above the initials ‘DK’ for designer David Knapton.
Image Credit: @coinpatrol on YouTube
In the normal version of the coin (pictured above) a few solid lines and a dotted line appear on the path, however coins with the ‘crisp packet’ error show a small bubble underneath the left-most line.
Image Credit: @coinpatrol on YouTube
The ‘crisp packet error’, named so due to its resemblance to a crumpled up crisp packet, is thought to be due to a cracked die causing the metal to pool. The particular example pictured above was shared by Coin Patrol on YouTube and is suspected to have been struck toward the start of the minting process using the cracked die, however several other collectors have reported the error at different stages of die deterioration.
Image credits: josne-4158 on eBay, redelvis0077 on PicClick, @coinpatrol on YouTube
It’s not known how many Paddington at the Palace 50ps have this ‘error’, however if you have one in your collection, it could make the coin much more sought-after.
Not the first cracked die error
The 2015 First World War Navy £2 made waves when collectors started to notice that some versions of the coin looked to have a flying flag atop the mast of the ship.
A number of people wondered whether there were two different designs of the Navy £2, however it was later confirmed that the extra ‘flag’ was caused by a cracked die during minting.
Image credit: @coinpatrol on YouTube
Do you have any error coins in your collection?
If you’re lucky enough to have an error coin or mis strike in your collection, let us know in the comments!
You can check out our Myths and Mis strikes blog for more information on common ones to look out for.
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A Red Arrows display like no other – The 2025 Red Arrows 50p!
Speed. Agility. Precision…these are all hallmarks of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team—better known as the Red Arrows. And to mark 60 years since their first display, the Red Arrows are being celebrated on a UK 50p!
A breath taking display
This is the first time the Red Arrows have featured on a UK coin, and the design perfectly represents their inspiring and captivating displays which are loved by so many. On the reverse of the coin, graphic designer Nigel Tudman has created a depiction of three sleek and distinctive BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft and their smoke trails.
Secure the 2025 Red Arrows 50p for just £8.99 (+p&p) >>
60 Years of ‘The Reds’
The Red Arrows, often affectionately nicknamed ‘The Reds’ by fans, represent the very best of the Royal Air Force. Since their debut display in 1965, the team has wowed audiences worldwide with their breath taking displays across 57 countries with nearly 5,000 shows, making them a global symbol of excellence.
Becoming a Red Arrows pilot is no easy feat though, as each member of the team must undergo a series of rigorous tests and fit the eligibility criteria before they’re selected. This includes having done a tour on the frontline and having at least 1,500 hours of fast jet flying under your belt, which can take 10-12 years to acquire!
Not to be forgotten though are The Blues, the Red Arrows’ hardworking and dedicated ground engineering crew. The Blues consist of mechanical technicians, avionics technicians, weapon technicians and the dye team, to name just a few! The dye team are responsible for the iconic coloured vapour trails you see during Red Arrows displays, a crucial part of the viewing experience.
We had the honour of meeting the dye team at the Royal International Air Tattoo 2024, where we got a close up look at a Hawk T1!
Previous aviation coins
Although this is the first time the Red Arrows have featured on a UK coin, it’s not the first time we’ve seen military aircraft on UK coins.
In 2017, to mark the centenary of the First World War, the First World War Aviation £2 was issued as the fourth coin in The Royal Mint’s 5-coin series commemorating the First World War from outbreak to armistice. With a design featuring a pilot and an airman taking photographs of the ground below, this coin paid tribute to The Royal Flying Corp and the role they undertook to protect the skies over Great Britain from the enemy.
The following year, in 2018, The Royal Mint issued a 5-coin £2 series to celebrate the centenary of the RAF. Featuring on the coins in the series was the RAF Badge, the Vulcan, the Sea King Helicopter, the Lightning II and of course, the RAF’s most iconic aircraft – the Spitfire.
Although none of these coins entered circulation, they proved incredibly popular with collectors, and in a poll in 2018, the Sea King £2 was voted as Change Checkers’ favourite design from the series!
Secure the 2025 Red Arrows 50p
Add the 2025 UK Red Arrows 50p to your collection for just £8.99 (+p&p) >>
The coin with three dates – The Brexit 50p
Following a referendum in 2016, the United Kingdom officially withdrew from the European Union on 31st January 2020. This departure was one of the most significant events to happen in modern history, and Brexit 50p coin was issued to commemorate it.
The withdrawal faced several delays and deferrals, leading to the Brexit 50p – also referred to as the UK Withdrawal from the EU 50p – being produced with THREE different dates and TWO different obverses!
Read on to find out more…
29th March 2019 Brexit 50p
In 2018, it was announced that a UK Brexit 50p would be issued to mark the withdrawal, and the Treasury posted the design on X (then Twitter). The revealed that the coin would feature the words ‘Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations’ and the date ’29 March 2019′ – the original intended date of withdrawal.
Reportedly, 1,000 Brexit 50ps with the date 29th March 2019 were struck. However, following the deferral of Brexit until October 2019, 990 of these coins were melted down, leaving 10 remaining that are kept under lock and key at The Royal Mint, so it’s impossible to find one in your change.
31st October 2019 Brexit 50p
As the government worked towards the withdrawal on 31st October 2019, the Brexit 50p design was revised to feature the new date. The Royal Mint got to work on striking over a million coins featuring the inscription ’31 October 2019′.
Image credit: Lee Holt, Change Range
On 28th October 2019, the day before Brexit was due to go ahead, it was announced that it would be delayed yet again until 31st January 2020. Therefore, the majority of Brexit 50ps that has been struck featuring the date ’31 October 2019′ had to be melted. These coins were never distributed for circulation by The Royal Mint, however two have been found in circulation.
Lucky collector, Lee Holt, was the first to find a Brexit 50p with the date ’31 October 2019′ (pictured above), and a second was found in 2024 by an anonymous collector.
Two different obverses
What makes this even more interesting is that the two Brexit 50ps with the date ’31 October 2019′ that have been found feature two different obverses!
The obverse on Lee’s coin features Jody Clark’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the year 2019 and the denomination ’50 PENCE’.
Image credit: Lee Holt, Change Range
However, the obverse of the other 31 October 2019 Brexit 50p found (pictured below) is missing the denomination.
Image credit: Lee Holt, Change Range
It’s likely that this coin was struck using the obverse die intended for the 2019 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p, as the denomination features on the reverse of that coin. Coins must state both the date and denomination on either the obverse or reverse, so reverse designs that feature the denomination do not need to include the denomination on the obverse.
Worth a small fortune
A numismatic specialist at Spink and Son auction house, Gregory Edmund, described the discovery of the two October 2019 dated Brexit 50ps as a ‘Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket moment’ and said it was ‘truly electrifying for business’. Gregory said that if the coins were to go up for auction, he would expect them to fetch more than the current Spink & Son record for a circulating coin, which was when a gold 1965 halfpenny with an error sold for £42,000 in 2023.
I’m sure those collectors who have discovered this incredibly rare coin aren’t willing to sell them any time soon, but with an estimated value of more than £42,000 – it’s definitely tempting!
31st January 2020 Brexit 50p
Due to another deferral, The Royal Mint had to once again revise the design of the Brexit 50p to feature the new date ’31 January 2020′.
It was this version of the coin that was finally produced in line with Brexit taking place on 31st January 2020, and 10,001,000 of them entered circulation.
So how rare is the Brexit 50p?
Our latest 50p mintage figure chart shows that the Brexit 50p/UK Withdrawal from the EU 50p with the correct date ’31 January 2020′ ranks a fair way down the list, meaning it’s not particularly rare.
The 2020 Brexit 50p also ranks as ‘common’ on our Scarcity Index, which combines a coin’s mintage figure with with how many collectors have listed the coin as being in their collection on the Change Checker App, and the number of times the coin has been requested as a swap on our Swap Centre.
Check out our latest Scarcity Index >>
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