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 ec presidency 92/93 50p coin. In mint condition in a vodapage lucite mould
I have a 92-93 uncirculated EC 50p coin in a vodapage Perspex case
I have a 50p of the commonwealth games Glasgow 2014 miss print mint error coin what is the true value of this coin
How much is a commonwealth 2014 Glasgow 50p coin worth? Me and my family have just found one recently and are wondering how much it’s actually worth. THANKYOU!
Hi I have 2 Benjamin Britten 2013 50p coins are they really worth anything as on eBay they are going for some rediciclus amounts of money thanks
Louise
Why are the Benjamin Britton 50ps going for £1000 I have one but it’s been used what would the value be
I have one of the benjamin britten coins, but I dont know what to sell it for as there is such a range, of quite frankly, ridiculous prices on the internet. Anyone give me a heads up to an acceptable price?
Hi Sam
Check out this blog on Benjamin Britten 50p’s and their value – it should help!
Click here
Thanks
50p or better still spend it. There are 5,300,000 in circulation. It isn’t rare.
We have a selection of special edition 50ps which we would like to sell including a Benjamin Brittan
a 10% will be donated to BHF is any one interested ? please call or email me . e
I have a Benjamin Britten coin dated 2013 circulated
My name is Daniel Ward.
I have a Benjamin Britten, 50p coin.
Could you please tell me the true value.
Regatds
Daniel Ward