UK 50p celebrates 80 years since VE Day
2025 marks 80 years since VE Day and, as is tradition for poignant historic events, a UK 50p coin has been issued to celebrate the anniversary.
Add the 2025 VE Day 50p to your collection >>
A day of “solemn thanksgiving”
VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day, marked the official end of World War II in Europe. On 8th May 1945, after nearly six years of conflict, Allied forces formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. For millions across Britain and the Commonwealth, it was a day of immense relief, reflection, and celebration.
Image Credit: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Street parties erupted across the UK, with people gathering to cheer, dance, and remember the sacrifices made by servicemen and women. Winston Churchill addressed the nation, calling it a day of “solemn thanksgiving.”
A symbol of Peace and Goodwill
The 2025 VE Day 50p features a beautifully detailed peace dove with an olive branch in its beak, an image that’ll be familiar to many collectors. The design echoes the much-loved 1995 Peace single metal £2 coin, which was issued to mark 50 years since VE Day. That coin quickly became a favourite for collections due to its elegant simplicity and powerful symbolism, and the same reception is expected for the 80th anniversary of VE Day 50p.
Above the dove is the inscription “IN PEACE GOODWILL”, taken from the iconic quote ‘In War, Resolution; In Defeat, Defiance; In Victory, Magnanimity; and in Peace, Good Will‘ in Winston Churchill’s book, The Second World War.
The words ‘VE DAY’ and the date ‘8 May 1945’ feature on the exergue, a reminder of the hope and relief that swept across Europe as World War II came to a close on the continent.
A legacy of VE Day coins
This isn’t the first time that VE Day has been commemorated on a UK coin, but it is the first time it’s featured on a UK 50p.
As mentioned above, the 50th anniversary of VE Day was celebrated on a single metal £2 coin in 1995, featuring a peace dove carrying an olive branch in its beak.
25 years later in 2020, another commemorative £2 coin was issued to mark 75 years since the end of the war in Europe. That coin, featuring a crowd celebrating peace in the streets and the words “Victory in Europe Day”, was widely praised for capturing the emotion and joy of the historic day.
Collectors have long shown a keen interest in UK coins that commemorate key moments in military history, and this was most evident last year, when the 2024 D-Day 50p was issued to mark 80 years since D-Day. The design featured troops landing on the beaches of Normandy, a pivotal event that led to the eventual victory in Europe.
These coins, now with the addition of the 2025 VE Day 50p, represent the powerful story of Victory in Europe across generations, and are a must have for collectors of military themed coins.
Add the 2025 VE Day 50p to your collection
With its deeply symbolic design and historical importance, the 2025 VE Day 50p is sure to resonate with collectors across the UK and beyond.