Which RARE definitive 50p coins should you be looking out for?

At Change Checker, we often talk a lot about the commemorative coins you can find in your change, but did you know there are some definitive coins that can be just as rare? Join me as we delve into the world of definitive 50p coins, and which ones you should be looking out for in your change.

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Britannia 50ps

Britannia, a fictional representation of Britain itself, first appeared on our coins in Roman times, but became a more permanent figure on UK coins in 1960s. Since its decimal introduction in 1969, Britannia could be found on the definitive 50p all the way up to 2008, when her portrait was replaced by the Royal Shield design.

Britannia 50ps are some of the most common coins in circulation, however there is one date you should keep an eye out for. If you come across a 2008 dated Britannia 50p, you should consider yourself lucky, as only 3,500,000 of these entered circulation!

This year was particularly significant because it marked the final time the Britannia design was issued for circulation before the introduction of the Royal Shield design.  

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Royal Shield 50ps

Next, let’s turn our attention to the Royal Shield 50ps, which featured on definitive UK 50ps from 2008 to 2022. The Royal Shield 50p was introduced in 2008 as part of Matthew Dent’s new definitive designs on the 1p to the 50p, which when fitted together, actually reveal the Royal Shield.

The last Royal Shield 50p issued for circulation was in 2022, and since then we’ve had the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III – so there’s been a shakeup in UK definitive coins!

The first definitive coins featuring King Charles III were revealed in October 2023, and the first one to enter circulation was the Atlantic Salmon 50p. Despite an estimated 500,000 Salmon 50ps entering circulation in November 2023, collectors have been finding them hard to come by!

Despite the Royal Shield being the definitive UK 50p design for a 14 year period, not every year saw them entering circulation. Royal Shield 50ps dated 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2021 are particularly special, because they were never intended for general circulation.

Instead, they were exclusively issued in annual coin sets, so the only way they could have ended up in your change is if a Brilliant Uncirculated version had been broken out of its collector pack and spent! Due to this, it’s not known how many Royal Shield 50ps with these dates are out there, but they do crop up from time to time, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for them!

Finally, there is one more definitive coin that we need to talk about – the 2017 Royal Shield 50p. Unlike its set-exclusive counterparts, this coin was released into circulation, however it has a mintage figure of just 1,800,000. This makes the 2017 Royal Shield 50p the rarest definitive 50p in circulation since the smaller 50p specification was introduced in 1997. So if you’re lucky enough to have one, you’ve got a true gem in your collection!

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So, now you’re in the know about the rare definitive 50ps to watch out for in your change.

Do you have any of the coins I’ve mentioned in your collection? Let me know in the comments!

Secure the King Charles III New UK Coinage Set

If you haven’t been lucky enough to come across a King Charles III Salmon 50p in your change, you can secure it as part of the New UK Coinage Set which includes all 8 new definitive coin designs with a special privy mark on the obverse.

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