50p Coins
The Return of Peter Rabbit! NEW 2019 coin released!
The BRAND NEW 2019 Peter Rabbit 50p has now been officially released!
In 2016 this mischievous little bunny re-inspired the nation to start checking their change.
And that’s because Beatrix Potter’s enchanting tales of countryside characters were brought to life on UK coinage with The Royal Mint’s introduction of the Beatrix Potter 50p series.
Likened to the 2012 Olympic 50p collecting sensation that gripped the nation, the release of these 50ps, including the very first UK Peter Rabbit coin, started a collecting frenzy across the UK.
And now this loveable little character has once again found his way out of Mr McGregor’s garden and onto a brand new UK 50p coin, for the fourth year running.
First issued to celebrate 150 years since the birth of the renowned Children’s author, Beatrix Potter, these 50p coins have been unprecedented in their popularity.
Thirteen coins have been issued since 2016, each featuring one of Potter’s delightful characters, from Flopsy Bunny to Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and even a special coin which includes elements celebrating Beatrix as the artist behind some of the best-loved characters in children’s literature.
The tale now continues with the 2019 Peter Rabbit 50p coin, featuring an original illustration of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter herself, carefully engraved by Royal Mint coin designer, Emma Noble.
The illustration has been taken from the book, ‘The Tales of Benjamin Bunny’ and shows Peter Rabbit wearing his blue jacket, which he daringly retrieved from Mr McGregor’s garden after losing it in ‘The Tales of Peter Rabbit’.
He can be seen clutching a handkerchief which was used to gather onions from the garden to take back for his aunt.
Taken from Beatrix Potter’s book, ‘The Tales of Benjamin Bunny’
The coin won’t be entering circulation, but is available to purchase in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here >>
There is no doubt that this Peter Rabbit 50p coin will be as popular as the previous years, and I’m sure collectors won’t want to let this bouncy bunny slip through their fingers.
Own the BRAND NEW 2019 Peter Rabbit 50p
This is your chance to be ahead of the crowd and secure your 2019 Peter Rabbit 50p in superior Brilliant Uncirculated condition.
Secure the Brilliant Uncirculated issue today for just £3.99 (+p&p) >>
Sign up for more Beatrix Potter news!
The Royal Mint has not confirmed if more Beatrix Potter coins will be issued this year, but if you’d like to be the first to know about any updates or future Beatrix Potter coins, you can sign up to receive updates using the form below:
Brand new 50p released as Stephen Hawking goes down in numismatic history!
Less than a year since his death, The Royal Mint have released a brand new Stephen Hawking 50p coin, honouring his works as one of the most influential physicists of the modern age.
Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time’ enlightened millions to the workings of the universe and revolutionised the way we understand time and space. As an ambassador for science, his significant contributions to humanity have left a lasting presence on all of us.
The exciting release of this coin makes Hawking one of only three people to be immortalised on a coin so soon after his passing, putting him alongside Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother in the history of famous figures commemorated on a UK coin within a year of their passing.
1965 Churchill Crown and 2002 Queen Mother Memorial £5 – both issued within a year of their death.
To commemorate Britain’s most famous physicist, a man who brought science to life in a way that the everyday person could connect with, this brand new 50p has been issued in Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver Proof and Gold Proof editions.
The striking design by Edwina Ellis features a stylised black hole to reflect his breakthrough work, as well as an inscription of his name and most notable ‘Bekenstein-Hawking formula’ describing the thermodynamic entropy of a black hole.
Edwina said of the design, “Stephen Hawking made difficult subjects accessible, engaging and relatable and this is what I wanted to portray in my design, which is inspired by a lecture he gave in Chile in 2008. Hawking, at his playful best, invites the audience to contemplate peering into a black hole before diving in. I wanted to fit a big black hole on the tiny coin and wish he was still here chortling at the thought. I am sure he would have thought of ways to harness the shiny table of the coin too. You feel he cared about all of us understanding.”
Excitingly, this is actually the first coin issued as part of a four coin series issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate ‘innovators in science’ and so it seems only fitting that the very first coin should feature Stephen Hawking.
We’re yet to find out who will feature on the next three coins, but who do you think should be chosen to be featured alongside Stephen Hawking?
Secure the BRAND NEW Stephen Hawking 50p for just £4.50 (+p&p)
This coin won’t be entering circulation, but you can add it to your collection in superior collector’s quality.
Is there really no such thing as a Gruffalo? The first ever UK Gruffalo 50p!
In 2019, an elusive British book character made his way out of the forest and onto a UK 50p coin, making his debut appearance especially for collectors!
After months of anticipation, The Royal Mint released the first ever UK Gruffalo® 50p in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Julia Donaldson’s classic children’s Tale.
The Gruffalo has sold over 13.5 million copies worldwide and is adored by children and families across the globe, who I’m sure were delighted to see this character (terrible tusks and all) immortalised on a UK 50p coin for the very first time.
The reverse design by Magic Light Pictures beautifully captured the mysterious and unusual beast, described in Donaldson’s book as having ‘two large, curved horns at the top of his head’ and ‘an enormous, poisonous wart on the end of his wet nose.’
Since the release of the first Beatrix Potter 50p coins in 2016 – a collecting sensation, appealing to not just dedicated collectors, but the wider public and fans of the children’s stories too – classic book and film characters have been a real favourite theme for 50p coins.
The release of the first Snowman 50p in 2018 created a flurry of excitement as collectors and lovers of the story rushed to add this coin to their collection, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the latest fictional character to take to our UK coinage becomes the next must-have coin.
From publication of The Gruffalo in 1999 to the film adaptation, to the west-end theatre production and now to the 50p coin, the adoration for this endearing character amongst children and adults alike makes the 20th anniversary of the Gruffalo a wonderful occasion to celebrate.
Sensational Sell Outs
Shortly after the 2019 Gruffalo 50p was released, it became one of the most sought-after 50ps of recent years, with more than 239,000 Brilliant Uncirculated 50ps sold and all 25,500 Silver Proof Gruffalo 50ps selling out! Find out more about what made the Gruffalo 50ps so popular here >>