Britain in Europe – a story of debates, delays and COLLECTABLE 50ps!

At the end of the month Britain will be leaving the European Union and HM Treasury have already announced a special commemorative 50p will enter circulation to mark the significant moment.

And if you want to be kept up to date with information about this new UK Brexit 50p, click here to register your interest.

But this won’t be the first time Britain’s relationship with the EU has been commemorated on coins. Whatever your feelings on our upcoming departure from the EU, our relationship with the continent has certainly produced some of the most iconic and important 50p releases ever from The Royal Mint!

Here are the coins that tell the story of Britain in the EU…

1973 European Economic Community 50p – the FIRST commemorative 50p!

Lge UK Joins the EC - Britain in Europe - a story of debates, delays and COLLECTABLE 50ps!

After over a decade of debate and discussion, in 1973 Britain was finally successful in its attempts to join the European Economic Community, known as the EEC. And to mark this important moment, The Royal Mint issued a brand new 50p to celebrate the UK’s accession. It features nine hands clasping each other in a circle, symbolising the nine member states of the community.

This coin now stands as a hugely significant issue in British history, but it also stands as an extremely important numismatic release. That’s because it was the FIRST EVER commemorative 50p! This was the coin that started what has become the world’s most popular coin collecting craze and paved the way for the Olympic, Beatrix Potter and Kew Gardens 50ps we’re now so familiar with.

1992/3 UK European Community Presidency – the RAREST ever 50p!

Lge UK Presidency 50p - Britain in Europe - a story of debates, delays and COLLECTABLE 50ps!

The 1992/3 50p celebrates the UK’s presidency of the European Council of Ministers, and the completion of the Single Market. The design by Mary Milner Dickens features a conference table seen from above, around which are the 12 chairs for the Council of Ministers with the UK at the head of the table.

This 50p was released at a difficult time in the UK’s relationship with Europe. A strong Eurosceptic voice began to be heard in Parliament, with Thatcher having recently stepped down as Prime Minister and the formation of the UK Independence Party. 

But most collectors will be aware of this 50p as being one of the most sought-after coins ever issued by The Royal Mint. There have been some extremely scarce 50ps issued since its introduction over 50p years ago, but with a mintage of just 109,000 (around half of the Kew Gardens 50p) the EC Presidency is the rarest UK 50p coin to enter circulation!

1998 UK entry to EEC 25th Anniversary 50p – the FIRST new-sized 50p!

1992 UK EEC Presidency 50p - Britain in Europe - a story of debates, delays and COLLECTABLE 50ps!

In 1998 a new 50p was issued to commemorate 25 years of the UK in the EEC. The previous decade had been occupied with much debate and discussion over Britain’s membership of the European Union, playing a part in the decline of the Conservative Party and the landslide election victory by Tony Blair’s Labour Party.

This 50p marked a key change in the 50p – it was the FIRST to be released in the smaller sized specification we know today. The old larger coins were removed from circulation and it’s this new sized 50p that has featured some of the UK’s most iconic coin designs.

2020 Brexit 50p – the MOST IMPORTANT coin release of the decade!

To mark the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, it has been announced that a brand new 50p will be released into circulation on 31st January along with special commemorative Gold, Silver Proof, and Brilliant Uncirculated editions available to order from that date.

The final design features the inscription ‘Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations’ and the historic date 31st January 2020 – the date the UK will officially leave the European Union.

The three previous 50ps issued to mark the UK’s relationship with the EU have all become iconic releases in their own right, and I have a feeling this brand new coin may just stand as the most collectable of them all!

If you want to be kept up to date with information about the new UK Brexit 50p, then register your interest below.

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DateStamp Brexit Britannia and 50p Images Everslabs and Coins - Britain in Europe - a story of debates, delays and COLLECTABLE 50ps!

If you’re interested…

Britain’s departure from the EU at the end of the month is sure to be one of the most important historic moments of our lifetime. And to mark the occasion you can own one of a limited number of Silver Britannias alongside the original 1973 EEC 50p, specially preserved in a one-day-only DateStamp™ issue to mark Britain leaving the European Union.

Click here to find out more >>

Everything you need to know about the Official Harry Potter collection…

Are you a Harry Potter fan, or do you know someone who is? If so, you certainly won’t want to miss out on the NEW Official Harry Potter Collection.

It hit the collecting world at full speed recently and understandably proved an instant hit with collectors and fans alike.

So whether you’ve already started the collection, or are thinking of doing so our latest video will be of interest to you!

Sound interesting? Well join Adam and Rowena as they take a closer look at the designs and exclusively reveal who, where and what you can expect to see making an appearance in the complete collection…

And don’t forget, if you have any questions about the collection, post them in the comments below and someone from the team will get back to you!


If you’re interested…

DN Harry Potter Medals Core Campaign Facebook Banner5 1024x569 - Everything you need to know about the Official Harry Potter collection...

If you start collecting today, you can own the new and exclusive Official Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dobby Collector Medals for just £8.99 (+p&p) – that’s an additional SAVING OF OVER 15% on the normal price. Just click here to find out more >>

BREAKING NEWS: The Official Royal Mail 2020 Stamp Calendar has just been released!

Royal Mail has just released their 2020 calendar announcing all of the commemorative stamp releases for the coming year.

Each new and exciting issue celebrates a part of British culture, from Roman Britain and the End of the Second World War to Queen and James Bond.

Have a look below to see the full calendar of releases:

Royal Mail Launch Schedule - BREAKING NEWS: The Official Royal Mail 2020 Stamp Calendar has just been released!

To make sure you are one of the first to hear about these exciting new stamp releases, simply fill in your details below. Please note, we’ll only contact you with regard to these releases.

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