Coin Collector

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BUILD YOUR 50P COLLECTION WHAT IS MY 50p WORTH? The 50p is perhaps Britain’s most popular coin, thanks to the range of commemorative designs issued over the years, and to the ambitious set of 29 coins issued to mark the London 2012 Olympics. Discover the history of the British 50p piece, from 1969 to 2018, with your in-depth guide to designs and mintage figures The country’s first 50p piece featured the traditional image of ‘Britannia’, the symbol of Britain, seated beside a lion, holding a shield, trident and olive branch. The image will be familiar to many, especially coin collectors, as Britannia has long appeared on the nation’s coins. The coin’s text included the value ‘50’ and the words ‘NEW PENCE’. The other side (known as the ‘obverse’ or ‘heads’ side) featured a portrait of the Queen by Arnold Machin (it’s the same portrait that is used on British definitive stamps). In 2008 the design was altered slightly with the inscription now reading ‘FIFTY PENCE’. Both designs were created by Christopher Ironside. In 1985 the portrait of the Queen was updated and a design by Raphael Maklouf was used. Collector notes More than 18 million copies of the 50p coin were minted in 1969 alone, giving you some idea of the scarcity of the coin. However, now that it is no longer in circulation, these original versions of the coins are a little more scarce than they were, but unlikely to command prices much more than their face value - in fact you can still trade in old 50p coins to your bank for… 50p. Many millions more coins were issued in subsequent years, though only proofs were produced in the years 1971 to 1975, meaning these are the years to look out for. A proof set containing the six denominations up to 50p is available from The Royal Mint for £40. Oh boy, we’ve hardly started on our 50p timeline and the thorny issue of Britain’s relationship with Europe is being mentioned already. But back in 1973 joining the EEC was a reason to celebrate, and the first commemorative 50p was issued with a striking design which means it will be obvious if you happen to be lucky enough to find an example. The design, by David Wynne, shows the inscription ‘50 PENCE’ and the year, surrounded by nine hands, symbolising the nine members of the Community, ‘clasping one another in a mutual gesture of trust, assistance and friendship’. Ireland and Denmark also joined the EEC in 1973. Collector notes With no ‘Britannia’ 50p coin being issued in 1973, the 89 million copies of this version served the needs of the public and were widely circulated at the time. The coin is therefore not the scarcest 50p but since it is the first to venture away from the traditional design, it’s a lovely one to add to your collection. Versions of the coin can be obtained for around £2.50 on sites such as eBay, whilst proof versions, often in a presentation box, can be purchased for around £7-£10. 1969 to 2008 - Britannia 1973 - The UK’s accession to the European Economic Community Mintage figures (from The Royal Mint) 1969 - 188,400,000 1970 - 19,461,500 1976 - 43,746,500 1977 - 49,536,000 1978 - 72,005,500 1979 - 58,680,000 1980 - 89,086,000 1981 - 74,002,000 1982 - 51,312,000 1983 - 62,824,904 1985 - 682,103 1997 - 456,364,100 1998 - 64,306,500 1999 - 24,905,000 2000 - 27,915,500 2001 - 84,998,500 2002 - 23,907,500 2003 - 23,583,000 2004 - 35,315,500 2005 - 25,363,500 Mintage: 89,775,000 Approx. value: £2.50