The Ten Rarest 50p Coins

Few coins have captured the public’s imagination quite like the humble 50p coin. Its instantly recognisable shape makes it the ideal coin for commemorative designs that celebrate Britain’s most iconic people, events and institutions. A select few of these superb coins have become some of the rarest 50p coins ever struck by The Royal Mint.

Displaying the traditional image of Britannia that represents the spirit of our nation, the 50p coin was introduced in 1969 as part of the new decimal coinage. Although its design was traditional, its shape – an equilateral curve heptagon – was revolutionary. The breadth of the coin made it practical for use in modern society, whilst its shape made it easily identifiable by sight and touch.

Due to the size and shape of this bold new coin, it was used to introduce commemorative designs into circulation. In 1973, The Royal Mint produced a special edition of the coin to celebrate the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Economic Community (EEC).

To honour the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings, a 1994-dated 50p coin featured a stunning design by John Mills that depicted the Allied forces moving towards Normandy. Since then, many stunning designs have excited the public and collectors, and the coin continues to be a popular choice for commemorative editions.

It is not only the original reverse designs of the 50p coin that make a number of issues significant but a select few also have incredibly low circulation numbers, making them extremely sought after.

• Atlantic Salmon 2023
• Kew Gardens 2009
• Olympic Football 2011
• Olympic Wrestling 2011
• Olympic Judo 2011
• Olympic Triathlon 2011
• Peter Rabbit™ 2018
• Flopsy Bunny™ 2018
• Olympic Tennis 2011
• Olympic Goalball 2011

1. Atlantic Salmon 2023

200,000 Minted

The Atlantic salmon – a priority conservation species and a recent addition to the rarest 50p coins in circulation today – was chosen to feature as the focus of one of eight new definitive designs following His Majesty King Charles III’s accession to the throne.

The overarching theme of this new collection of designs is flora and fauna from across all four UK nations, and many of the animals featured are considered endangered or represent conservation success stories. Although wild populations of the Atlantic salmon are affected by factors such as river pollution, habitat loss, overfishing, and river heating due to lack of tree cover and climate change, this wild fish can be found in very clean rivers in Scotland and Wales, as well as in North and South West England.

The definitive designs were first revealed in October 2023, with production of the coins beginning shortly afterwards and the Atlantic salmon UK 50p coin entered circulation at the end of November. 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.

2. Kew Gardens 2009

210,000 Minted

The famous Kew Gardens 50p held its place as the rarest 50p coin in circulation for the better part of 14 years after its release. Its beautiful design celebrates the famous royal botanical garden with the iconic Chinese pagoda taking centre stage.

The renowned design was created by Christopher Le Brun and depicts decorative leafy vines climbing in and around the pagoda. This coin was an immediate favourite and many went straight into private collections, making them even rarer than the low mintage suggests.

There was not a high demand for the 50p denomination in 2009, which was the main reason for the unusually low number of 50p coins struck that year. A mintage of 210,000 is remarkably low, which made this coin highly sought after as soon as it was released into circulation.

There is also a 2019-dated coin celebrating this recognisable design but it is the original 2009 edition that holds its place as a rare and valuable coin. Today, it is not uncommon for this 50p to sell for as much as £700, with numismatists eager to add it to their collection.

3. Olympic Football 2011

1,125,500 Minted

Football is the most popular sport in the world with more than 4 billion players and fans across the globe. The Olympic Games bring together emerging stars and the biggest names in the sport to compete for the pride of their nations, and the small matter of the gold, silver and bronze medals.

The tournament lasts two weeks with teams representing 12 nations taking to the field to tackle, shoot and score their way to a podium place. In 2012, Mexico won the gold medal in the men’s football.

The reverse of the Olympic football coin was designed by sports journalist Neil Wolfson. Its unique design attempts to answer the question that has been asked since 1863: what is offside? The playful look depicts a classic football tactics board to demonstrate in an easy-to-understand way when a player would be considered on- and offside.

For football fans and collectors, this is a fabulous coin, but with just 1,125,500 minted for circulation, they are not easy to score.

4. Olympic Wrestling 2011

1,129,500 Minted

The wrestling coin is another piece in the Olympic 50p collection that immortalises an all-action sport. Its reverse designer, Roderick Enriquez, created a futuristic look for a historic sport, capturing the moment a wrestler is thrown onto the mat in a modern stadium representation.

Individual raised dots represent the watching crowd, and the purposely undersized mat emphasises the close-range nature of the bouts. The action silhouettes highlight the strength and technical skill involved in wrestling.

This design brings a respected, ancient sport into the modern world and only 1,129,500 coins entered circulation. 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

1,161,500 Minted

Of the 29 London 2012 Olympic 50p coins, few can compare to the judo coin in terms of action. Capturing two athletes in mid-throw with exquisite detail, this incredible design was created by David Cornell, who infused the scene with his personal experience. This shines through in little details like the wave of the judogi and the form of the competitors.

This coin is one of the most detailed coins in the Olympic collection, giving the reverse a real sense of action in its accomplished portrayal. David Cornell has skilfully captured the movement of the throw and the effort of the opponents, further adding to the coin’s popularity.

With only 1,161,500 coins struck, and many taken out of circulation for collections, this is one of the rarest UK 50p pieces.

6. Olympic Triathlon 2011

1,163,500 Minted

The fourth coin from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games collection to make it onto the list of the rarest circulating 50p coins commemorates triathlon. The coin’s reverse is an energetic design that encapsulates everything about the historic games and its distinctive reverse design was created by Sarah Harvey.

Each aspect of the triathlon is on show with clearly defined motion in a fitting tribute to this endurance sport. The design shows three figures in poses from the three events that form the sport: running, swimming and cycling, with lines sweeping across the coin to cleverly portray the water and roads that the athletes compete in and on. The London 2012 Olympics logo presides over the action in celebration of this special occasion – one of only three times when the UK has hosted the historic games.

Just 1,163,500 of these spectacular coins were struck in honour of the London 2012, which makes it a rare coin to find in your change.

7. Peter Rabbit 2018

1,400,000 Minted

The star of the Beatrix Potter collection is undoubtedly Peter Rabbit™. In 2018, he hopped onto British coins for another adventure that endeared the plucky rabbit and his family to the public once more. The collection saw Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated coins struck as well as the circulating coins you can find in your change today.

The rare Peter Rabbit 50p coin features the famous bunny munching on radishes after another near miss in Mr. McGregor’s garden. Designed by Emma Noble, a product designer at The Royal Mint, the reverse of the coin features a playful image that brings Peter Rabbit’s personality to life in all his mischievous glory. An official licensed product endorsed by Frederick Warne & Co., the coin boasts an unmistakable image from many people’s childhood.

Like the Flopsy Bunny coin, just 1,400,000 were struck, ensuring Peter Rabbit sits alongside his sister as one of the rarest circulating 50p coins ever produced in the UK.

8. Flopsy Bunny 2018

1,400,000 Minted

The Beatrix Potter coin collection was created in celebration of the beloved tales that have enchanted children since 1902. Written and illustrated by Helen Beatrix Potter, the quaint stories of the world’s most mischievous rabbit and his charming family went on to become some of the bestselling children’s books of all time, with films and original stories still being produced to this day.

Featuring designs by Emma Noble, who drew inspiration from Potter’s original illustrations that accompanied the stories, the collection of coins inspired by Peter Rabbit proved incredibly popular when they entered circulation in 2018.

The Flopsy Bunny™ coin is the first and only time Peter Rabbit’s sister has appeared on a UK coin, with the character taking centre stage in the reverse design that depicts her characteristic cape that will be familiar to all Beatrix Potter fans.

Only 1,400,000 of these coins were struck, making it one of the rarest circulating 50p coins in existence today.

9. Olympic Tennis 2011

1,454,000 Minted

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. The Scotsman produced a sensational performance to win in straight sets and go down in British Olympic history. This beautiful coin has become a magnificent memento of a standout moment in British sport.

Featuring a reverse design by competition winner Tracey Baines, a sculptor and jewellery designer from Peterborough, the coin displays the unmistakable image of a tennis ball sailing over a net. An elegantly simple design that captures the essence of this historic sport, the design’s fine details show off the movement of the net and the texture of a classic tennis ball.

The low mintage for this rare 50p makes it one of the most prized coins from the iconic collection.

10. Olympic Goalball 2011

1,615,500 Minted

To celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we produced a series of coins that commemorated the third time the historic games had been held on British soil.

Many of the sports on show in London and around the country were immortalised in a series of 29 designs. The collection proved very popular, with many people seeking out these iconic coins to complete their set.

We held a competition to design the coins that would make up this unique collection and the winning designer for the goalball coin was Jonathan Wren. The reverse of the coin features the distinctive arc of an athlete in mid-throw during the Paralympic Games.

Many of the 2011 Olympic 50p pieces have a mintage below 2 million, but the 1,615,500 goalball coins produced make this one of the rarest circulating 50p coins to date.

Remarkably Rare

As of August 2024, these are the rarest UK 50p coins, but with new editions being released every year, there is always a chance you could find something to treasure in your next handful of change. If you want to start your collection without relying on luck, our coin collections offer an excellent starting point for budding numismatists.

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