Rare 50p Coins
- 2017 Fifty Pence 50p Coins in Circulation page A whopping 6x different 2017 50p were made. A commemorative to mark the 375th anniversary of the birth of Sir Isaac Newton, the standard coin with the shield design and four new coins with Beatrix Potter themes – because the ones marking the actual anniversary sold so well last year.
- European Economic Community 50p Coin 1973. Our first coin of interest is no longer in.
2021 marks 50 years since our UK coins turned decimal, in the biggest numismatic change seen in centuries.
In celebration of this significant anniversary, The Royal Mint issued not one, but TWO Decimal Day 50ps in 2021. The reverse designs are the same, but that certainly can’t be said for their obverses…
The first version of the Decimal Day 50p, available exclusively in the 2021 Annual Coin Set, features the original Arnold Machin portraitof Her Majesty The Queen on the obverse – the same obverse used for the UK’s very first decimal coins.
The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p remains by far the rarest coin in circulation, with a mintage of just 210,000, while the most common, the 1997 Britannia 50p, has a circulation of 456,364,100 times.
However, the individual coin which was released later in January, featured Jody Clark’s fifth portrait of The Queen instead.
So why did The Royal Mint revert back to the Queen’s first decimal effigy for this new issue? Join Change Checker as we take a closer look…
Spot the Difference
The 50p available in the Annual Setwhich features the original Machin portrait on the obverse, quickly caught the eyes of collectors as this was the first time we have seen The Royal Mint revert a previous portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II on a base metal UK coin.
Marking 50 years since our UK coins went decimal, it seemed only fitting that this coin should include Machin’s obverse design.
But, when the Decimal Day 50p was individually released later in January, collectors had the opportunity to get their hands on a second version of this coin, as Jody Clark’s portrait of The Queen featured on the obverse.
So with two versions of the 2021 UK Decimal Day 50p out there, this coin is set to become a real talking point among collectors!
Arnold Machin Portrait
The significance of this anniversary and the fact that the Machin portrait of HM QEII was the first to be used on the UK’s 50p, makes for the perfect excuse to revert back to this previous effigy on the exclusive Decimal Day 50p within the Annual Set.
The UK’s very first decimal coins (5p, 10p, followed by 50p) actually entered circulation before 1971 and as they were circulating together with pre-decimal currency, a new portrait of The Queen was commissioned to help the new coins stand out.
Arnold Machin’s new portrait showed The Queen wearing a tiara given to The Queen by her grandmother, Queen Mary.
We love the fact that collectors have the chance to see this previous portrait reused on this brand new 50p and it certainly makes for interesting collecting!
Have you secure both versions of the 2021 Decimal Day for your collections? Let us know in the comments below!
But that’s not all, as this is not the first time we’ve seen different obverses used on the same coin…
2015 Battle of Britain 50p
In 2015, The Battle of Britain 50p shot to fame as collectors were quick to spot that there were THREE different versions of the coin, with different obverses on each of them.
The Brilliant Uncirculated 50p was issued early in 2015 and was quickly dubbed an ‘error’ coin. The coins, which were sold in presentation packs, had been struck without the denomination in either numbers or writing anywhere on the coin. Chancers were quick to play to this, with some managing to sell on the coins for near to £100 each on the secondary market.
After the controversy surrounding the coin erupted, the Royal Mint confirmed that the 50p intended for circulation later on in the year would have the ’50 PENCE’ denomination. But was this after they had realised their mistake?
So how did this coin end up with three different obverses?
Each version of this coin has caused a stir in the collecting world. Not only does this Battle of Britain 50p fail to feature a denomination on the Brilliant Uncirculated version, but the obverse is different for each finish used for the coin – a first for a UK commemorative coin.
In 2019, a brand new re-issued Brilliant Uncirculated version of the Battle of Britain 50p (from the 2019 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Set) saw Jody Clark’s portrait and the 50 PENCE denomination – making this the FOURTH version of this 50p!
Do you have any of the Battle of Britain 50p coins? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the 2021 Annual Set with the Decimal Day 50p that features the original Arnold Machin obverse!
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© Provided by The i The Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny designs were named among the rarest 50p coins by the Royal Mint (Photo: PA)While many versions of the 50p coin have been issued, few designs raise a smile like those released to commemorate the beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter.
Various characters have been honoured over the years, with some of the coins issued in smaller mintages, which makes them more valued by collectors.
The Royal Mint has revealed the rarest 50p coins in circulation ahead of the 50th anniversary of decimalisation, which included two of the Beatrix Potter designs.
Here are the coins to look out for in your own loose change, and how they compare to some of the rarest coins in circulation.
© Provided by The i Two Beatrix Potter designs were named among the rarest 50p coins by the Royal Mint (Photo: PA)How rare are the Beatrix Potter 50p coins?
Two of the Beatrix Potter collection make the Royal Mint’s top 10 rankings – one adorned with the image of Peter Rabbit, the other with Flopsy Bunny.
Both were released into circulation in 2018, and have a mintage of 1,400,000, putting them in joint sixth position.
Collectible 50p Coins
While there has only been one Flopsy Bunny 50p coin issued, the Peter Rabbit design is one of three, with the others – released in 2016 and 2017 – far more common.
There are other relatively rare Beatrix Potter coins, such as the 2018 Mrs Tittlemouse coin with a circulation of 1,700,000, and the Jemima Puddle Duck design from 2016 at 2,100,000.
Others with a comparatively low mintage include the 2018 Tailor of Gloucester (3,900,000), and the 2016 Squirrel Nutkin (5,000,000), while the most common design is the 2017 Benjamin Button coin, with 25,000,000 released into circulation.
The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p remains by far the rarest coin in circulation, with a mintage of just 210,000, while the most common, the 1997 Britannia 50p, has a circulation of 456,364,100 times. Here is the Royal Mint’s full top 10:
1. 2009 Kew Gardens, 210,000
2. 2011 Olympic Wrestling, 1,129,500
=3. 2011 Olympic Football, 1,161,500
=3. 2011 Olympic Judo, 1,161,500
5. 2011 Olympic Triathlon, 1,163,500
=6. 2018 Peter Rabbit, 1,400,000
=6. 2018 Flopsy Bunny, 1,400,000
8. 2011 Olympic Tennis, 1,454,000
Rare 50p Coins 2020
9. 2011 Olympic Goalball, 1,615,500
10. 2011 Olympic Shooting, 1,656,500
Are the Beatrix Potter 50p coins valuable?
The rare coins website Change Checker has an eBay tracker, which details how some 50p coins can fetch significant sums in the secondary sale market.
According to this, the most valuable of the Beatrix Potter coins is the Jemima Puddle-Duck design, which fetched an average of £12.00 over the nine most recent completed eBay sales up to mid-January.
Rarest 50p Coins Uk
This is significantly behind the Kew Gardens 50p coin, which reportedly attracted an average price of £156.00.
There are are no shortage of sellers on eBay purporting to sell a range of rare 50p coins, which tend to offer the 2018 Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny designs for between £9 and £15.
It should be pointed out, as Change Checker states, the market in supposedly valuable coins “can be a bit of a minefield,” and it’s important to do your research before being taken in by viral stories of coins fetching huge sums.
Last year, for example, various reports claimed a Battle of Hastings 50p sold for £63,000 on eBay, supposedly because it was “very rare”.
Rare 50p Coins Pictures
This coin was launched in 2016 to commemorate the famous battle’s 950th anniversary, with as many as 6.7 million entering circulation.
Speaking to The Mirror, Alexandra Fiddons from Change Checker wasn’t able to explain exactly why the coin would sell for such a purportedly high fee, but said that sometimes “random coins” do reach surprising prices.
Rare 50p Coins Benjamin Bunny
While some coins can fetch sums comfortably above their 50p value, often it is “error coins” – versions which found their way into circulation after being minted with mistakes – which are particularly valued by collectors.