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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.

Obverse Type 6 (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type 4 (design by Matthew Dent):

Mintage for Circulation: 1,800,000

Scouting 'Be Prepared' 50p Coin Rare 50p coin issued in 2007 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Scouts. Message me for offers or trades please! £2.50 postage no matter how many coins you want. Covers parcel and signed for delivery. Suffragette 2003 - 1903 Give women the vote 2. Soldier carrying another soldier behind what looks like an iron cross 3. On the back it says Be Prepared with the image from webelos, looks kinda like corn 4. 1997 looks like a rose or two flowers crossed.

Collectability/Scarcity: 2 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The obverse portrait of the Queen by Mr Jody Clark was introduced in March 2015 and is used on all circulating coinage. It is the fifth portrait of the Queen used on coinage.

The reverse design, by Matthew Dent shows the bottom part of the shield of the Royal Coat of Arms.

Commemorative 2017 50p coin, Type 57A: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Aaron West):

Mintage for Circulation: 1,801,500 (first seen in limited circulation from about 20th June 2017, earlier than expected)

Collectability/Scarcity: 2 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Coins with this design were also struck dated 2018 (number 57B). Sir Isaac Newton was a physicist, mathematician, Warden of the Mint and one of the most influential scientists to have ever lived. In 1717 Sir Isaac wrote a report which led to a proclamation later that year reducing the value of the gold guinea to 21 shillings. Here is the report in full:

Commemorative 2017 50p coin, Type 58: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2017):

Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):

Mintage for Circulation: 19,900,000 (first appeared in circulation 21/9/17).

Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The first wave of Beatrix Potter themed coins were a huge sales success for the Royal Mint, and despite the fact that this year isn’t a round anniversary of anything, they needed no excuse to produce another four different cuddly animal coins for staggered release during 2017. This second Peter Rabbit themed coin is the first. It will be followed by the flamboyant Benjamin Bunny, sombre Jeremy Fisher and a demonic-looking Tom Kitten.

Commemorative 2017 50p coin, Type 59: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2017):

Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):

Mintage for Circulation: 9,900,000.

Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The Beatrix Potter Mr Jeremey Fisher coin.

Commemorative 2017 50p coin, Type 60: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2017):

Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):

Mintage for Circulation: 9,500,000.

Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The Beatrix Potter Tom Kitten coin.

Commemorative 2017 50p coin, Type 61: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2017):

Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):

Mintage for Circulation: 25,000,000.

Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The Beatrix Potter Benjamin Bunny coin.

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The sought-after Kew Gardens 50p coin has been revealed as the rarest in circulation by the Royal Mint.

According to the top 10 rankings, released ahead of the 50th anniversary of decimilisation on 15 February, the coin is comfortably ahead of the competition.

The rest of the list is dominated by the Olympic-themed 50ps minted in 2011 to commemorate the London 2012 games, and the popular Beatrix Potter coins.

Why is the Kew Gardens 50p coin the rarest in circulation?

But while these all have a mintage above 1,000,000, only 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p coins were released into circulation.

Be Prepared 50p Ebay

For comparison, the most common coins in circulation have a mintage in the tens or even hundreds of millions – the 1997 Britannia 50p was minted 456,364,100 times.

The Kew Gardens coin was minted in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens, which were founded in 1759 by King George III’s mother Princess Augusta.

Its scarcity has made it treasured by collectors, the Royal Mint explains: “The sheer variety has sparked a collecting craze but of all the 50p coins, the Kew Gardens 50p is arguably the most sought-after.

“Nothing gets people excited quite like this original 2009 design. Just 210,000 were released into circulation and with almost all of them in private hands, the chances of coming across one in your change are slim.”

It adds: “Demand for the 50p denomination was not high at the time of release into circulation which explains the low mintage of this particular design.”

According to Matt Curtis, The Royal Mint’s Historics and Collector Services Expert: “As the mintage numbers were so low, many collectors removed the coins from circulation when found.”

A new version of the Kew Gardens 50p was issued in 2019, as part of a special British Culture Set marking 50 years of the 50p coin.

What are the rarest 50p coins in circulation?

Here are the rarest 50p designs in circulation, with their year and their total mintage, according to the Royal Mint:

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

9. 2011 Olympic Goalball, 1,615,500

10. 2011 Olympic Shooting, 1,656,500

How much is the Kew Gardens 50p coin worth?

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.

This reports that the 2009 Kew Gardens coin sold for an average of £156 over the auction website’s nine most recent listings, according to the most recent update, a significantly higher sum than its rivals.

It should be pointed out, as the website 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”.

This coin was launched in 2016 to commemorate the famous battle’s 950th anniversary, with as many as 6.7 million entering circulation.

Be Prepared 50p

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.

Be Prepared 50p 1907

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.