The Top 5 50p Coin Series and why you should be collecting them

Since the 50p coin was first introduced back in 1969, we’ve seen it change size, weight and obverse monarch. It’s become the go-to denomination for some fantastic series, but which 50p series are the most popular?

Here are Change Checker’s top 5 50p coin series that you need in your collection.

5. Paddington 50ps

Starting with Britain’s best loved bear, Paddington. This 50p series began in 2018 with the issue of two brand new coins entering circulation. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Paddington’s first book appearance, these two coins show Paddington outside Buckingham Palace and at Paddington Station.

2018 Paddington at the Palace 50p and 2018 Paddington at the Station 50p
2018 Paddington at the Palace 50p and 2018 Paddington at the Station 50p

The series was so popular that in 2019, a further two Paddington 50ps were issued. This time showing the marmalade loving bear tucking into his favourite snack outside the Tower of London and tipping his hat at St Paul’s Cathedral.

2019 Paddington at the Tower of London and 2019 Paddington at St Paul's Cathedral 50p
2019 Paddington at the Tower of London and 2019 Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral 50p

These coins are some of the most popular issues in the last five years and with designs as charming as this, you can understand why.

4. Winnie the Pooh 50ps

Next up, we’ve got another adorable bear, Winnie the Pooh, who first appeared on a UK 50p in 2020. This was the first 50p in a nine coin series celebrating 95 years of fun filled adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Complete Winnie the Pooh 50p Series
Complete Winnie the Pooh 50p Series

These coins feature famous characters from the stories, such as Owl, Kanga & Roo, Piglet and Pooh himself. Despite not entering circulation, these coins have been in high demand, with some limited edition presentations selling out at The Royal Mint within just hours of release. But don’t worry if you missed out, you can browse Change Checker’s remaining Winnie the Pooh stock here >>

2022 Winnie the Pooh and Friends 50p, 2022 Kanga & Roo 50p and 2021 Owl 50p
2022 Winnie the Pooh and Friends 50p, 2022 Kanga & Roo 50p and 2021 Owl 50p

3. Innovation in Science Series

Now, cast your mind back to 2019 when The Royal Mint released the first coin their Innovation in Science Series, the Stephen Hawking 50p. It was a record breaking sell out success, with worldwide interest and news articles across the globe about this new coin.

2019 Stephen Hawking 50p
2019 Stephen Hawking 50p

The Stephen Hawking 50p was so popular that even her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II commented that it was one of her favourite coin designs.

It kick started a hugely popular coin series which later brought us the Insulin 50p, Alan Turing 50p, and Rosalind Franklin 50p, to name just a few.

2022 Alan Turing 50p

2. Beatrix Potter 50ps

In second place, we’ve got the incredibly popular Beatrix Potter 50ps. The first 50p, issued in 2016, featuring a charming design of Peter Rabbit inspired a whole new generation of collectors, appealing to children, their parents and grandparents.

Beatrix Potter 50ps
Beatrix Potter 50ps

The 2018 Flopsy Bunny and Peter Rabbit 50ps each had mintage figures of only 1.4 million, making them some of the rarest 50ps in circulation. The Beatrix Potter coins are some of the most collectable 50ps, so whichever ones you have in your collection, you should be very pleased.

2018 Flopsy Bunny 50ps and 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p
2018 Flopsy Bunny 50ps and 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p

1. 2012 Olympic 50ps

In the top spot, the most popular 50p series of all time is the 2012 Olympic 50ps. This series was issued to celebrate the games being hosted in London in 2012. All 29 of the 2012 Olympic 50ps entered circulation, and they’re some of the rarest 50ps out there.

2012 Olympic 50ps
2012 Olympic 50ps

The football 50p, which features a design of the hotly debated offside rule, has a circulating mintage of just 1.125 million. This makes it the second rarest 50p currently in circulation.

2012 Olympic Football 50p
2012 Olympic Football 50p

Five years ago, it was estimated that over 75% of the Olympic 50p coins were removed from circulation into private collections, meaning even less are now out there to find.

Are you lucky enough to have any of these popular 50ps in your collection? Let us know in the comments!

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120 Years of Mischief – the 2022 Peter Rabbit £5 just issued!

I can remember the very first time I was introduced to Peter Rabbit.

My grandmother, an avid Beatrix Potter fan, read me the tale of this mischievous little bunny rabbit one evening. From that point on, every time I went to stay with her, it would be the bedtime story I requested.

That’s the wonderful thing about The Tale of Peter Rabbit; it’s adored across generations.

From the original books, written in 1902, to the brand new £5 coin issued today, the nation continues to preserve Peter Rabbit’s legacy.

2022 UK Peter Rabbit £5

In celebration of 120 years of mischief, The Royal Mint has issued a brand new £5 coin, featuring a design of Peter Rabbit, straight from the storybooks!

2022 UK Peter Rabbit £5.
Celebrating 120 Years since the character made his first appearance in Beatrix Potter's story, 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit'.
Features design of Peter Rabbit turned to the side with one front paw lifted. Wearing the famous blue jacket. A wildlife scene circles him, featuring bees, flowers, and birds.
'120 Years' and 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' appear as inscriptions.

Designed by Ffion Gwillim, this brand new coin shows the famous bunny rabbit in the stance that is famously known for being the emblem of Beatrix Potter’s works.

The coin also features the inscription ‘120 YEARS’ and ‘THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT’, in tribute to both Beatrix Potter’s talents and her most cherished character.

The popularity of previous Beatrix Potter releases first caused a collecting frenzy in 2016. Having remained some of the most popular coins amongst collectors ever since, this brand new £5 coin is expected to be incredibly sought-after – especially during this special anniversary year!

To secure yours for your collection in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p), click here.

2021 UK Peter Rabbit £5

In 2021, Peter Rabbit made his first ever appearance on a UK £5 coin – the flagship issue, regarded as the UK’s most important commemorative coin amongst collectors.

Featuring a reverse design by Ffion Gwillim, the same artist behind this year’s stunning anniversary issue, this £5 coin depicts a charming scene of the whole rabbit family.

The perfect keepsake to treasure forever, this £5 coin proved incredibly popular with collectors!

With 2022 being a very special anniversary year for Peter Rabbit, i’m sure demand will be even higher for this brand new issue.


Do you have fond memories of Peter Rabbit?

Perhaps you were read the stories as a child, or maybe you’re now reading them to your children or grandchildren? Let us know in the comments below!


Secure the 2022 UK Peter Rabbit £5 coin for your collection!

This Peter Rabbit™ £5 coin has been specially struck and encapsulated as a Change Checker CERTIFIED Brilliant Uncirculated issue.

Brilliant Uncirculated coins are specially struck and handled by The Royal Mint to ensure they are a higher standard than the coins in your change.

It has then been protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging with the all-important security hologram to guarantee its quality forever.

Own the 2022 UK Peter Rabbit™ £5 today in superior Collector Quality, for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) by clicking here >>

UK’s FIRST-EVER Peter Rabbit™ £5 enters the cosy burrow of UK coinage!

“What heaven can be more real than to retain the spirit-world of childhood?” – Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other Beatrix Potter stories span across generations, with each and every one of us having fond childhood memories of these wonderful characters.

Get ready to journey back to childhood as Change Checker is foot-thumpingly excited to reveal that the UK’s FIRST-EVER Peter Rabbit™ £5 coin is available to add to your collections!

Inspired by Beatrix Potter’s classic tales that have enchanted readers of all generations for more than 100 years, this brand new release is set to be incredibly popular amongst Beatrix Potter fans and collectors alike.

The reverse design by Ffion Gwillim perfectly captures a heart-warming scene from the original, much-loved Beatrix Potter stories.

To secure this UK FIRST for your collection in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, in official Change Checker packaging for JUST £10.99 (+p&p), simply click here >>

Since 2016, Peter Rabbit has encouraged a whole new generation to start collecting – featuring on not just one, but FIVE 50p coins in the Beatrix Potter series. And now the tale continues as Potter’s most famous character makes his debut appearance on a UK £5 coin.

Join us in this blog, as we journey down the cosy burrow of the Beatrix Potter series and explore the tale of the sought-after 50ps…

A Woman Ahead of Her Time

Beatrix Potter by Charles King, circa 1913. Source: National Portrait Gallery.

Beatrix Potter truly was a woman ahead of her time. Not only was she an accomplished children’s author and illustrator, she was a passionate and knowledgeable farmer and conservationist – long before it became popular.

Potter was always encouraged to draw, and she spent many hours of her childhood making intricate sketches of animals and plants, revealing an early fascination for the natural world that would continue throughout her life. 

However, it’s fair to say her enchanting tales of countryside characters, including Peter Rabbit and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle skyrocketed her to stardom. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published in 1902 and it instantly became a best-seller!

The Series That Inspired a New Generation

The Complete Beatrix Potter 50p Series

It was in 2016 that Peter Rabbit escaped from Mr. McGregor’s garden and made his first debut on United Kingdom coinage.

Issued to celebrate 150 years since the birth of renowned Children’s author, Beatrix Potter, this 50p changed coin collecting forever.

This series of coins continued into 2017, 2018 and 2019Fifteen Beatrix Potter coins have now been issued since 2016, each featuring one of Potter’s delightful characters, from Flopsy Bunny to Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.

Peter Rabbit is the only character to feature more than once in the Beatrix Potter 50p series, with no less than 5 coins issued to celebrated the nation’s favourite little rabbit.

In 2020, The Royal Mint confirmed that Peter Rabbit’s 50p tale had sadly come to an end with the issue of a brand new coin.

This means there are fifteen Beatrix Potter 50p coins to collect and now we’re delighted to see a brand new £5 coin has been added to the mix.

With Peter Rabbit proving to be one of the UK’s most popular characters to ever feature on UK coins, this new release is set to prove incredibly sought-after amongst Beatrix Potter fans and collectors alike.


Will you be securing this brand new £5 coin for your collection? Let us know in the comments below!


Secure the 2021 UK Peter Rabbit™ £5

This Peter Rabbit™ £5 coin has been specially struck and encapsulated as a Change Checker CERTIFIED Brilliant Uncirculated issue.

It has then been protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging with the all-important security hologram to guarantee its quality forever.

Own the 2021 UK Peter Rabbit™ £5 today in superior Collector Quality, for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) by clicking here >>