Commemorative 50p coin

The 50p coin has been a popular choice for commemorative currency to mark major British events and anniversaries over the years. One of the latest fifty pence coins even commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the first 50p being minted.

These commemorative 50p coins are usually minted in their millions; therefore despite recording major landmark events, virtually all of them are worth no more than their denominated face value of 50p. A rare exception to this is the 2009 Kew Garden 50p; only 210,000 were minted and this is now possibly the most sought after fifty pence coin.

Only 210,000 2009 Kew Gardens 50p coins were minted.

In addition to the circulated currency 50p coins, The Royal Mint also strikes commemorative gold, silver and platinum proof versions. These have the same designs as the circulating coins but are minted for investors and collectors as a numismatic piece.

A 1994 Gold Proof 50p Piece D-Day marking the D Day anniversary.

The bullion value of these coins, purely for the precious metal content, far exceeds that of their 50p face value. Factor in the exceptional proof condition and you should expect to pay even higher premiums.

As legal tender they also enjoy tax benefits over precious metal bars of the same weight, and their commemorative design further adds to their value. This makes them highly attractive for both collectors and investors.

Commemorative 50p

First minted in 1969, the distinctive equilateral curved heptagon shape of the 50p was a world-first. It was a decimal replacement for the ten-shilling note, but was released two years before the change to decimal currency. 28 years later, in 1997, the original coin was replaced by the smaller, current size.

Not all special-issue 50p coins are commemorative. Only those coins whose reverse design marks an event can technically be termed as commemorative. For example, the extremely popular Beatrix Potter 50p coins series, featuring Peter Rabbit characters, may not be strictly classed as commemorative 50p coins. This may also apply to the Paddington Bear series; both were minted in 2018, and do not mark exact events so much as popular parts of British culture.

The 2018 coin marks the passing of the Representation of the People Act in 1918.

By contrast, the 2018 Representation of the People Act 50p marks the centenary of the Act's passing. It is therefore definitely a commemorative coin.

The first commemorative 50p, struck in 1973, marked the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Community. The next was not issued until nearly twenty years later in 1992; this was again linked to Europe. The coin marked the UK presiding over the European Council of Ministers, when it completed the European Single market.

Landmark dates

Since these first two, the issuing frequency for commemorative fifty pence coins in circulation has increased. To date there have been well over twenty further commemorative 50p coins issued. If coins such as the Beatrix Potter and Paddington series were included the figure would rise to over eighty designs. These have been very popular with the public, and the frequency looks set to increase with new designs already announced for 2021 and beyond.