We cover everything from why some 50p coins are rare to how to sell them. And, you’ll also find a handy list of rare 50p coins. Let’s jump right in.
Why are some 50p coins determined to be rare?
One of the most important factors in deciding a coin's rarity and value is mintage – how many of a certain coin were issued.
Unique coins with faults, like being struck twice can be very valuable, as they are sought after by collectors.
Other important factors are historical significance or stand-out designs that make the coins attractive. Most of the rare 50p coins are either with special Olympic Games designs or from the Beatrix Potter 50p coin collection.
There’s also the condition of the coin to consider. Coins are graded by six criteria. To sum it up in a simple way, without going into detail, it’s just about how much wear and tear the coin has – or doesn’t have.
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How much are rare 50p coins worth?
The famous 50p coin, Kew Gardens, sells for a few hundred pounds. Other rare 50p coins go for less impressive numbers, from a couple of pounds up to 20–30 pounds.
There’s a very rare 50p coin that can sell for thousands of pounds, but you’re not likely to come across it. Keep reading to find out which coin it is.
Top 12 most valuable and rarest 50p coins
Without further ado, here’s our list of rarest and most valuable 50p coins.
1. 2011 London Olympics Aquatics – lines over face version
The Aquatics 50p is one of 29 different commemorative 50p coins issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics.
Designed by Jonathan Olliffe in 2011, the first version of this coin had the water lines printed across the swimmer's face. This was later changed, making the ‘lines over face’ version of the coin a sought-after rarity. It’s estimated that only about 600 were ever minted.1
As of February 2024, the Britannia Coin Company is selling one of these 50p coins for £3,995.1
2. 2009 Kew Gardens
You may have heard of the Kew Gardens 50p coin, probably the most sought after 50p coin. Depicting the Chinese Pagoda at Kew with beautiful vines twining around the tower, only 210,000 of the original design were released into circulation in 2009.
In 2019 a commemorative Kew Gardens coin was reissued, which was not released into circulation.
Since this is such a valuable and rare coin, there will also be plenty of fakes going around. If you’re ever planning to buy one of these, make sure you know how to spot a forged coin by using a guide such as this one by Check Your Change.
The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p was recently (February 2024) sold for up to £430 on eBay.
3. 1992-1993 European Presidency
This historically significant 50p coin was released to honour two important events. In 1992 the United Kingdom held the rotating presidential seat for the EU and in 1993 the Single European Market opened up the movement of goods and people across the EU member states.
To commemorate these events as well as the twenty-year anniversary since the UK entered the European Economic Community, The Royal Mint issued 26,890 of these commemorative silver proof coins.
This coin, designed by Mary Milner Dickens, shows a conference table and twelve chairs for each of the Ministers. The head chair is marked with ‘UK’ to signify the presidency and on the table you’ll see twelve stars, the European Community symbol. At the top the dates 1992 and 1993 are written.
In February 2024 we found The Britannia Coin Company selling this coin for 70 pounds. On eBay it last sold for up to 70 pounds as well.
4. 2011 London Olympics Wrestling
And we’re back to the famous Olympics coins. All of the designs were chosen through a public competition in 2009 and out of 30,000 submissions, Roderick Enriquez’s design was chosen for the wrestling coin. 1,129,500 of these coins were circulated by The Royal Mint.
As of February 2024, The Britannia Coin Company sells the wrestling coin starting from 13 pounds.2 On eBay, it has recently sold for up to 17 pounds.
5. 2011 London Olympics Football
Also going by the name ‘Offside Rule 50p’, 1,125,500 of these coins entered circulation in 2011.
Designed by Neil Wolfson, this coin shows a top-down view of the football field and explains the offside rule, with the word ‘OFFSIDE and ‘ NOT OFFSIDE’ printed in the centre. On the top of the diagram you’ll see the words ‘OFFSIDE EXPLAINED’.
As of February 2024, the circulated coin has sold on eBay for up to 32 pounds.
6. 2011 London Olympics Judo
The design for the Judo coin was submitted by David Cornell, a painter and sculptor. Having competed in Judo when he was younger, he chose to depict the move that injured his shoulder and forced him to stop competing altogether.
The design shows a dynamic image of one judo athlete throwing another. 1,161,500 of these coins entered circulation.
As of February 2024, the Judo coin has been selling on eBay from 5 pounds all the way to close to 20 pounds, with the average selling price hovering around 12-15 pounds.
7. 2011 London Olympics Triathlon
The Triathlon design is by Sarah Harvey and depicts three athlete silhouettes: a runner to the left, a cyclist in the middle, and a swimmer to the right. The figures are connected by lines that form a road, a cyclist track and swimming lines.
163,500 of these coins entered circulation and as of February 2024 they sell for an average of 12–17 pounds on eBay, uncirculated coins sometimes going for up to 20 pounds.
8. 2011 London Olympics Table Tennis
The Table Tennis 50p coin was designed by Alan Linsdell, a retired illustrator and a big fan of the sport, having played it for 20 years himself. The design shows two table tennis bats held by hands, crossing over one another. A table tennis ball is flying across them and in the background there’s a table tennis table.
1,737,500 of these coins entered into circulation. As of February 2024 they sell for an average of about 3-6 pounds on eBay, special uncirculated coins selling up to 20 pounds.
9. 2011 London Olympics Goalball
The Olympic Goalball 50p coin was designed by Jonathan Wren. The design features an athlete in mid-throw during the Paralympic Games.
1,615,500 of these coins were released into circulation. As of February 2024 they sell for an average of about 3-5 pounds on eBay, special uncirculated coins selling for up to 20 pounds.
10. 2011 London Olympics Shooting
The Shooting 50p was designed by Pravin Dewdhory and features a shooting athlete and the Olympic Logo geometric shapes as the segments from the clay pigeon explosion.
1,656,500 coins were minted and released into circulation, they now sell for an average of 2-5 pounds on eBay.
11. 2018 Peter Rabbit
The Peter Rabbit 50p coin is one of the commemorative Beatrix Potter 50p coins, issued by The Royal Mint in 2016. Designed by Emma Noble, this whole series is sought after by collectors.
Because of their popularity, the Royal Mint made different collections over the years. The rarest Peter Rabbit 50p coin is from 2018, just 1,400,000 were minted.
There are plenty of Peter Rabbit 50p coins sold on eBay, with commemorative coins in boxes selling up to around 30 pounds. Some circulated coins sell for just a few pounds, depending on the condition of the coin.
12. 2018 Flopsy Bunny
Another Beatrix Potter commemorative coin, the 2018 Flopsy Bunny 50p coin is frequently sought after by collectors. While the Beatrix Potter series started in 2016, 2018 saw the first coin to feature the charming Flopsy Bunny. Only 1,400,000 coins were minted, making this a rare coin.
We saw these coins sell on average for 4-9 pounds on eBay and up to 48 pounds for the silver proof coin in a box.
How to sell rare 50p coins?
When selling rare 50p coins, it’s important to do your research and to consult with a reputable coin appraiser, who can help you with getting the right price for your coins. You can also try to estimate the fair price yourself, by comparing its condition to coins you see sold online.
Where to buy or sell rare 50p coins in the UK?
One of the easiest ways to sell or buy coins is via marketplaces like eBay or Heritage Auctions. You can also sell your coins directly to a dealer. But again, make sure to do your research first to avoid scammers.
And, if you want to buy coins or other collectibles from abroad in other currencies than the British pound, consider using the money services provider Wise. The Wise account lets you make international payments for low fees and mid-market exchange rates and you can get a Wise card to spend like a local in 150+ countries worldwide. It’s not a bank account but offers similar features.
Learn more about the Wise account 💰
There you have it. Hopefully you now have a clear picture of all the most important 50p coins and what they sell for.
Sources used for this article:
Sources last checked on date: 12-Feb-2024
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