Do you own the UK’s rarest 50p piece? And it’s not Kew Gardens.
Last week a 50p coin that many thousands of people have found in their daily pocket change started to be sold on e-Bay for prices upward of £100.00. Or to put it another way, 200 times its actual value!
Only 109,000 1992 EC 50p were issued into circulation – roughly half of the Kew Gardens 50p.
It was all because the Royal Mint announced that the Kew Gardens 50p coins is the UK’s most scarce circulation coin, with just 210,000 pieces ever been placed into circulation. The result was a media storm and the inevitable overnight ramping of prices.
Half the circulation of the Kew Gardens 50p
But what few people realise is that there is an even rarer UK 50p piece that was issued in half the number of the Kew Gardens coin – just 109,000 coins.
The coin was issued in 1992 to mark the EC Single Market and the UK presidency of the Council of Ministers – perhaps not the most popular of topics, which maybe was the reason so very few were pushed out into circulation. But of course, its lack of popularity at the time, is the very thing that now makes its Britain’s rarest 50p coin.
Sadly, however hard you search, unlike the Kew Gardens 50p, you will not find this one in your change. That’s because it is one of the old-sized 50p coins that were demonetised in 1998.
The coin itself was designed by Mary Milner Dickens and pictures the UK’s place at the head of the Council of Ministers’ conference table. The stars represent each of the nations’ capital cities placed in their relative geographical position.
But it won’t be the coin’s clever design that will guarantee its numismatic interest for years to come. It is its status as the UK’s most rare circulation 50p is what will intrigue collectors and have them searching and saving up in years to come.
Are you interested in owning the UK’s rarest 50p coin?
The 1992 EC Single Market 50p
Limited stocks of the 1992 EC 50p coin are available from The Westminster Collection for £20.
NOW SOLD OUT
I have a kew gardens coin
Can I buy it off you please??
Thanks
Michael
What’s you’re offer my friend
Would £10 be enough plus postage?
I have a Victoria Cross uncirculated 2006 50p coin how much is it worth
Hi Malcolm, in numismatic terms it’s still a really new coin, it will take some time to acquire real value but if you keep it in uncirculated condition that will help. You would probably get double or triple its face value on eBay right now. More details can be found here: http://www.changechecker.org/coin/10/50p-Victoria-Cross-1.aspx Thanks, Robin.
Yes I have a circulated EU 50p coin in very good condition, can you tell me if i is worth anything ?
Patricia. I have 3 uncirculated EU coins in my collection. I am looking to sell two of them. I would also like to know what they are worth.
how much would you ask for one as id be interested in buying one for my collection at a reasonable price as westminster collection sell them for £20
I have a 50p coin from 1969 does it have any value
I have 2 Kew garden 50p to sell how can I do this
I’ll buy one off you. 50p + P&P??
HI DONT SUPPOSE YOU STILL HAVE THEM THANKS
Is the commenwealth 2014 a rare 50p coin? How about the Benjamin Button coin?
Hi Aminoor, it’s too early to say if the Commonwealth Games 50p is rare yet – it’s only just gone into circulation and we don’t have the mintage figures yet. The Benjamin Britten coin has a mintage of over 5 million, so it should be relatively easy to get hold of at the moment. However as with all these commemorative pieces, give them some time and as they disappear out of circulation they become more and more sought-after. Thanks, Robin
Hi, is the benjamin britten coin worth anything
Benjamin Button? Are they commemorating Brad Pitt movies now?
Lol well it was a good film!
Yes I do have one of these coins as I also have the Kew gardens in the set I purchased from you. Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2014 15:42:43 +0000 To: [email protected]
Is 1907 old coins worth anything
Hi Mary,
It’s very difficult to tell without more information, however your coins are already over a hundred years old which is a good start. Two of the most important factors are age and condition. We would recommend taking your coins to a local coin dealer or expert to have them properly examined if you want to establish their value.
Where can I sell a Benjamin Britten coin for a good price is seen them for £1000 online
I have both the Kew Gardens and E.U 50p coins in the usual year coinage of the issued year.
Can you tell me if these are ” not rare” because they were not distributed into the usual issue for general use ?.
If what you are saying is that you have normal circulation versions of those coins they are versions that are rare. However, their condition is also important too.
I do not have normal circulation of the two coins mentioned , but only have these coins in the incapsulated set s issued by the royal mint . Are they as rare as those issued in general circulation?.
Hi Norman, it depends a little on whether you have the Brilliant Uncirculated Pack or one of the Proof Sets which include the coins in question. The quantities issued vary dramatically over the years, for example there were 78,421 Brilliant Uncirculated packs issued in 1992, making this pack technically scarcer than the circulating coin.
I have the EC Single Market and the UK presidency of the Council of Ministers 50p coin in the present small version coin, it is gold plated and dated 2009 (part of the 40th anniversary UK 50p collection and includes the Kew 50, also gold plated and dated 2009). Has the value of this collection “sky-rocketed” too?
Hi Gary – I remember the Royal Mint’s collection and it’s a great one. As for its value at the moment but it’s certainly a collection I’d be hanging on to.