Be Prepared 50p
Baden-Powell was a decorated soldier, talented artist and free-thinker who believed in teaching boys practical outdoor activities and resourcefulness. 'Be prepared' became the motto of the scouting movement and features on the design of this commemorative 50p. This coin was re-issued in 2019 as part of the 50th Anniversary of the 50p Celebrations. The 2019 version of this. A 50p design featuring the Royal Shield of Arms, which was released two years ago, is currently the second rarest 50p coin in circulation behind the 2009 Kew Gardens. Designs that are produced annually are sometimes overlooked in rankings of rare coins, in favour of ‘commemorative’ pieces – yet less than two million of the Royal Shield of. A Scouting 50p coin in good circulated condition (A few small contact marks on the coin, but retains some original shine and most of the original design detail.) will be worth more than a worn down battered coin. Prices shown on this page relate to coins created for circulation. 50p Coins in Circulation. The 50p coin was introduced in 1969 to replace the Bank of England 10 Shilling note. It was one of only three decimal coins to have been made and circulated before decimalisation took place fully in 1971.
A 50p design featuring the Royal Shield of Arms, which was released two years ago, is currently the second rarest 50p coin in circulation behind the 2009 Kew Gardens.
Designs that are produced annually are sometimes overlooked in rankings of rare coins, in favour of ‘commemorative’ pieces – yet less than two million of the Royal Shield of Arms were minted in the year 2017.
Which? reveals the rarest 50p coins and how mintage influences the value of a coin.
What is the rarest 50p coin?
The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p coin remains the rarest of all coins with just 210,000 in circulation.
But if you include definitive coins – meaning those produced annually – then the second rarest 50p design is the 2017 Royal Shield of Arms.
This coin was originally designed by Matthew Dent following a public competition.
According to coin collecting site Change Checker, the Royal Shield of Arms has been issued every year since 2008 apart from 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2016.
The 2017 version is by far and away the rarest, with just 1.8 million minted, in comparison to 10.3 million in 2013, 49 million in 2014 and 39.3 million in 2015.
The third rarest coin in circulation remains the Sir Isaac Newton 50p, which has a release of just 1.8m.
The chart below shows the current rarest 50p designs based on mintage figures from the Royal Mint.
Definitive vs commemorative coins
The Royal Mint issues ‘definitive’ coins every year based on demand. The same design is produced annually, with just the year changing.
These types of coins are sometimes ignored by collectors but in cases such as the Royal Shield of Arms 2017, they can also be extremely rare.
By contrast, commemorative coins are released to mark a particular occasions, person or event, so tend to be a one-off design.
Often, these coins are first released as collector’s editions by the Royal Mint, with some versions then entering general circulation.
Special 50p have been released this year celebrating the anniversary of The Gruffalo, the famous kids’ book Peter Rabbit and the deceased British professor Stephen Hawking.
How does mintage affect a coins value?
Mintage figures can have a massive impact on the coin’s value in the market.
Generally, the harder the coin is for collectors to find, the more they are likely to pay for the coin. This can partly be determined by mintage, but also the popularity of the design.
As the 2012 Olympic coins drop out of circulation by getting lost or snatched up in collections, their value has been increasing, with the football and wrestling designs particularly popular.
Which? has looked at the average price on three recent sales on eBay for particularly rare 50p coins – the Kew Gardens 2009, the Royal Shield of Arms 2017 and the Olympic 2012 wrestling design – and the results are below:
You can see that despite the rarity of the Royal Shield of Arms coin, it doesn’t fetch a huge premium – perhaps because the design doesn’t resonate with the public in the same way.
That said, collectors are advised to treat eBay listings with caution.
Some sellers will list coins at an inflated price, or bid on their own product to make it look there’s a bigger demand.
Remember that coins are only worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay for them – even if you’ve found a rare coin, you may not be able to sell it on for a profit.
What else affects the coin’s value?
The value of a coin can also depend on whether a particular design is sought-after or sentimental.
If the coin design is more popular, people are more likely to hang onto the coin and keep it from circulation.
Also the condition of a coin and whether it is from scratches or marks can have a significant impact on its value.
However an error on a coin can have the opposite effect and make them much rarer and more sought after than ‘perfect’ versions.
Last year Which? carried out a three-month investigation into the dark side of the coin investment craze – see our video below to find out which types of coins could be worth investing in, and scams to watch out for.
- Read the full investigation: Revealed: the dark side of the coin investment craze
Be Prepared Pete
The reverse was designed by Kerry Jones.
Obverse is the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.
Mintage: 7,710,750 (may include coins issued as part of a set).
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Queen Elizabeth II has issued many coins and was monarch during decimalisation.
The British Fifty Pence (50p) coin was introduced in October 1969 as part of the decimalisation of the British currency. It replaced the 10 shilling note, both being equivalent to half of one pound (£0.50). It is colloquially called the '50 pee'. The coin has 7 sides (heptagonal) but has rounded corners on each apex so that the coin will roll and work in vending machines.
Originally, the coin has a diameter of 30mm and weighed 13.5g, but in 1997 this was replaced with a smaller version of diameter 27.3mm and weight of 8g. The thickness was kept at 1.78mm. The coin is made of Cupro-Nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel). The larger version was demonitised (i.e. ceased to be legal tender) in 1998.
All coins have an obverse featuring the portrait Queen Elizabeth II. There are three versions:
- 1985-1997 - Designer: Raphael Maklouf
- 1998-2015 - Designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS
- 2015 to date - Designer: Jody Clark
There are also 29 different variants which were minted in 2011 in celebration of the 2012 Summer Olympics.The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company.
Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.
Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
There is also an on-line shop at The Royal Mint Shop.
Be Prepared 50p 1907
The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
Be Prepared 50p Coin Worth
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