Its instantly recognisable shape means that the 50p has been the coin of choice for commemorative designs that showcase iconic people, events and institutions.
And a select few of these superb coins have become some of the rarest 50p coins ever struck by The Royal Mint.
The 50p coin was introduced in 1969 as part of decimalisation; the heptagon shape was said to revolutionary at the time and made it easily identifiable by sight and touch.
Anyone who held on to one of the first 50p coins may find they are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Britannia Coin Company said it gets lots of calls about fifty pence pieces from customers, in particular the 1997 Britannia 50p coin which has been sold for £10,000 on eBay.
But there are more recently minted 50p coins which Brits may have accidentally stashed away in a piggy bank or a side dish that could pay dividends.
So before you reach for the change you might want to check if you have any of these coins – and although they may not get a five figure sum you could find your spare change is worth hundreds of pounds.
According to the Royal Mint these are the top 10 rarest 50ps produced in the last 20 years.
- One Atlantic Salmon 2023
- Two Kew Gardens 2009
- Three Olympic Football 2011
- Four Olympic Wrestling 2011
- Five Olympic Judo 2011
- Six Olympic Triathlon 2011
- Seven Peter Rabbit™ 2018
- Eight Flopsy Bunny™ 2018
- Nine Olympic Tennis 2011
- Ten Olympic Goalball 2011
1. Atlantic Salmon 2023
200,000 Minted
This was one of eight new definitive designs following King Charles III’s accession to the throne and was first revealed in October 2023. As this 2023 coin has a low mintage of 200,000 coins, this makes it even rarer than the beloved 2009 Kew Gardens UK 50p coin, and has been sold for about £150, according to The Britannia Coin Company.
2. Kew Gardens 2009
Just 210,000 of these were minted and for 14 years this was the rarest coin in circulation. It was designed by Christopher Le Brun and had been for as much as £700.
3. Olympic Football 2011
This 50p numbers 1,125,500 and was designed by sports journalist Neil Wolfson and attempts to answer the question -‘what is the offside rule?’.
4. Olympic Wrestling 2011
The wrestling coin was another piece in the Olympic 50p collection and 1,129,500 were minted. This is the second rarest coin in the Olympic collection, and it is unlikely you will find it in your pocket today, but it remains one of the most collectable 50p pieces in circulation.
5. Olympic Judo 2011
This 50p numbers 1,161,500 in circulation and captures two athletes in mid-throw. It was designed by David Cornell and sells for around £15.
6. Olympic Triathlon 2011
The fourth coin from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games also numbers 1,163,500 in circulation and was designed by Sarah Harvey. It shows three figures in poses from the three events that form the sport: running, swimming and cycling,and also sells for about £15.
7. Peter Rabbit 2018
Although not as rare as some of the above, 1,400,000 of these were minted and features the famous bunny munching on radishes after another near miss in Mr. McGregor’s garden.This 50p, designed by Emma Noble, a product designer at the Royal Mint, is currently listed at £26,000 on eBay.
8. Flopsy Bunny 2018
As with her fictional brother 50p coins featuring Flopsy Bunny numbered 1,400,000. The character features in the book by Helen Beatrix Potter and the coin was also designed by Emma Noble. It is also listed on eBay, starting at around £15.
9. Olympic Tennis 2011
The 2011 Olympic tennis 50p coin took on greater significance when, weeks after losing the Wimbledon final to Roger Federer, Andy Murray secured Olympic gold for Team GB by beating Federer in the men’s singles final at London 2012. There were 1,454,000 minted and it was designed by Tracey Baines, a sculptor and jewellery designer from Peterborough.
10. Olympic Goalball 2011
The tenth rarest 50p coin in circulation with 1,615,500 minted this also commemorated the 2012 London Olympics 1,615,500 goalball coins produced make this one of the rarest circulating 50p coins to date. It also fetchs upwards of £10.
