50p Coins
The 50p that’s guaranteed to float your boat – The RNLI 50p!
The 2024 UK RNLI 50p has just dropped anchor and is ready to swim straight into your collection!
I know a lot of you will be wanting to get your hands on this one, because we asked you to vote for your favourite design from the Annual Set, and the RNLI 50p won with a huge 50% of the votes!
So if you just cant wait, click here to secure your 2024 UK RNLI 50p for just £5.99 >>
Or, keep reading to find out a bit more…
History of the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, better known as the RNLI, was founded by Sir William Hillary in 1824, and 2024 marks its 200th anniversary. From being the first organization to use steam-driven lifeboats in 1890, to providing crucial maritime support during the first and second world wars, to opening their training college in 2004 – the RNLI have been making history and saving lives at sea for 2 whole centuries.
Credit: Chris Downer, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Each year, coins marking key anniversaries and historical figures are chosen to feature in the Annual Set – and this year was no exception with coins celebrating the National Gallery, Sir Winston Churchill, the Paris Olympics and of course, the RNLI.
A ‘mast’erpiece designs
The reverse design incorporates key symbols of the RNLI, with the flag in the centre, surrounded by a life ring and rope. Inscribed on the life ring are the years of the charity 1824-2024 as well as ‘200 years’, marking that incredible milestone.
Did you know…
The iconic RNLI flag wasn’t introduced until 1908. The first version designed by Leonara Preston in 1884 who used the St George’s cross as the basis for the flag, adding the RNLI lettering, the Tudor Crown worn by King George VI and a foul anchor in the centre.
Credit: Sodacan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Credit: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The design was updated in 1953 to represent the change of monarch to Queen Elizabeth II when the Tudor Crown was swapped for the St Edwards Crown. It’s this version of the flag that’s been proudly flown at all lifeboat stations since, but I wonder if they’ll change the design again for King Charles III?
Let us know what you think in the comments!
Supporting a great cause
As well as a design paying tribute to 200 years of the institution that has saved over 144,000 lives, The Royal Mint are donating 5% of every RNLI 50p sold to the charity*, allowing them to continue their great work.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen proceeds from a UK coin go to a worthy cause. Just last year, The Royal Mint donated 100% of the profits from the 2023 NHS 50p to NHS Charities Together, an organization that provides incredible support to NHS staff, patients and communities.
The 2023 UK NHS 50p commemorated 75 years of the National Health Service, and it’s estimated that the total donation figure reached £225,000 – an incredible way to celebrate three-quarters of a century of the great British organization.
So do you agree with 50% of collectors – is the RNLI 50p your favourite coin from the 2024 Annual Set? Perhaps you have a personal story involving the RNLI that you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!
Secure your 2024 UK RNLI 50p
Secure yours 2024 UK RNLI 50p for just £5.99 >>
*The Royal Mint Limited will contribute 5% of the price excluding VAT in support of the RNLI. Payments are made to RNLI (Sales) Ltd (which pays all its taxable profits to the RNLI, a charity registered in England and Wales (209603),Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (20003326), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man (1308 and 006329F) and the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Alderney.
Which 50p Coin Series are worth collecting?
Do you collect 50p coins? Perhaps you keep hold of commemorative 50ps you find in your change, or maybe you’ve built up a collection of brilliant uncirculated coins…
Whether you’re new to the hobby or you’re a seasoned collector, you might not know that some of your coins are part of a series – but which 50p series are worth collecting?
Olympic 50ps
Let’s kick off with perhaps the best known 50p coin series – the Olympic 50ps!
Back in 2011, to mark the 2012 Olympics being held in London, The Royal Mint issued 29 new 50p coins, each representing a different sport. With 29 new commemorative coin designs to look out for in circulation, the Olympic 50ps sparked many people’s interest in collecting coins.
Even now, 13 years on, 2011 holds the record for the most commemorative coin designs to enter circulation (30 designs in total including the WWF 50p released the same year).
It’s estimated that 75% of Olympic 50ps have been removed from circulation by collectors, but by checking your change and swapping with other collectors, it’s still possible to collect the complete set.
Find out more about the Olympic 50ps >>
Paddington 50ps
Another coin series that inspired many younger collectors is the Paddington 50p series. With 2 coins released in 2018 and a further 2 in 2019, this collection of 4 coins shows the beloved bear in front of some of London’s most iconic landmarks.
The first 2 coins were issued to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington’s first appearance in Michael Bond’s classic childhood tale, with the first showing Paddington sat at his namesake train station.
He continued his adventures around London, visiting Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.
The 2018 Paddington at the Station 50p has the lowest mintage figure of the series, with only 5,001,000 in circulation, however it still ranks as common on our Scarcity Index.
Have you ever found any Paddington 50ps in your change? Let us know in the comments!
Are you missing any Paddington 50ps? Check out our Paddington range >>
Beatrix Potter 50ps
Thirteen Beatrix Potter 50ps were issued between 2016 and 2018, each featuring beloved characters from Potter’s enchanting tales. All of these coins entered circulation, however a further 2 Peter Rabbit 50ps were issued in 2019 and 2020 which did not enter circulation.
These coins caused a collecting frenzy in back in 2016 due to their unique theme, and were probably the most talked-about coins since the 2011 Olympic 50ps!
A lot of the Beatrix Potter 50ps will have been snapped up into collections by now, but it is still possible to find them in circulation – although you might be searching a while for the whole set!
Based solely on circulating mintage figures, the rarest Beatrix Potter 50ps are the Flopsy Bunny 50p and the 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p, each with a mintage figure of just 1,400,000.
The most common coin in the series is the Benjamin Bunny 50p, which has a circulating mintage of 25,000,000. Aside from the 1973 European Economic Community 50p which had a mintage of 89,775,000, the Benjamin Bunny 50p has the highest commemorative 50p mintage figure, so you’ve probably come across one in your change at some point!
If you’re struggling to complete your collection, check out our Beatrix Potter range >>
Winnie the Pooh 50ps
In 2020, The Royal Mint announced a 9-coin 50p collection celebrating Winnie the Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.
The designs were produced by The Walt Disney Company, featuring original illustrations from A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh storybooks by E.H. Shepard.
The very first coin in the series, featuring Pooh sat beside an overturned pot of honey, was the first time that Winnie the Pooh had ever featured on a UK coin. It was so popular in fact, that all 18,000 silver proof 50p coins sold out in less than 12 hours! The excitement for this series didn’t stop there though, as the silver proof 2022 Eeyore 50p also sold out within just hours of issue at The Royal Mint.
Although the Winnie the Pooh 50ps didn’t enter circulation, they are still incredibly popular with collectors. Some people have even paid well over retail price for them on eBay to complete their collections.
If you have any gaps in your Winnie the Pooh 50p collection, check out which ones we still have available >>
The Snowman™ 50ps
The Snowman™ first appeared on a UK 50p back in 2018 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive tale. Since then, there has been a new UK The Snowman™ 50p issued each year, and there are now 6 in the series.
Over the years, we’ve been treated to some of the most iconic scenes on our coins, taken from the original tale and even the 2012 film – The Snowman™ and The Snowdog™.
The Snowman™ has been seen sharing adventures with his friend, James, flying through the night sky, dancing under the northern lights and even cuddling up with The Snowdog™!
It’s become somewhat of a festive tradition for a new UK The Snowman™ 50p to be issued each year, and it just doesn’t feel like Christmas until it’s released.
Fill the gaps in your The Snowman™ 50p collection >>
Do you think there will be more The Snowman™ 50ps issued in years to come? Let us know below!
Which 50p series is your favourite?
Do you have any of these coins in your collection? Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have a complete set! We’d love to hear from you which 50p series is your favourite, so let us know in the comments below.
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
The dinosaur 50ps STOMPING into your collection!
Look out Change Checkers, because a brand new collection of UK Dinosaur 50ps are causing a rumbling in the collecting world! Three roarsome 50ps in the Iconic Specimens Collection have been issued as part of the Tales of the Earth series.
2024 Diplodocus 50p
The third and final 50p in the Iconic Specimens Collection features the Diplodocus, a gentle giant of the late Jurassic period. As one of the most on-display dinosaurs in the world, it’s only fitting that the Diplodocus closes this collection.
The Diplodocus could reach up to 90 feet long, with the neck alone measuring 26 feet! As a herbivore, it had no need for sharp teeth, and was better equipped with peg-like teeth for stripping leaves from branches. Despite its usually docile nature, the Diplodocus boasted a powerful whip-like tail which may have been able to break the sound barrier when cracked, probably used to scare predators or in courtship rituals.
Designer, paleo artist Robert Nicholls had expert guidance from Professor Paul Barret from the Natural History Museum to ensure the Diplodocus was accurately depicted, with its winding neck and impressive serpentine tail. In the foreground, you can even see a Diplodocus skeleton, further emphasising its sheer length.
Secure the 2024 UK Diplodocus 50p for your collection >>
2024 Stegosaurus 50p
The second 50p in the Iconic Specimens collection takes us back to the Jurassic period and pays tribute to the colossal stegosaurus. The stegosaurus is often nicknamed the ‘dumbest dinosaur’ due to its tiny plum-sized brain, however, it had no problem defending itself against predators with its formidable spiked tail.
The 2024 UK Stegosaurus 50p depicts the armoured herbivore in all its glory, with those unmistakable diamond-shaped plates down its back and a powerful spiked tail. In the foreground, you can even see a stegosaurus skeleton amongst Jurassic foliage and the inscription ‘JURASSIC’.
Paleo artist Robert Nichols worked with Professor Paul Barret from the Natural History Museum to create the design, which was based on the world’s most complete stegosaurus specimen – the ‘Sophie’ skeleton.
Did you know?
The time between when the Stegosaurus roamed the earth and the Tyrannosaurus is actually greater than the time separating the Tyrannosaurus and us!
Click here to secure the 2024 UK Stegosaurus 50p for your collection >>
2024 UK T-Rex 50p
Kicking off the new Iconic Specimens collection in December 2023 was the 2024 UK T-Rex 50p, featuring one of the most ferocious predators to ever walk the earth. Not only was this the first time the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex had appeared on a UK 50p, but it was also the first 2024 dated 50p to be issued!
The Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the most fearsome animals of all time, boasting a 5 foot long skull, armed with 60 razor sharp teeth, and a bite 3 times more powerful than a lion!
Perhaps thankfully, you won’t find yourself up against a real T-Rex in this age. However, the ferocious predator is so realistically portrayed on the 2024 T-Rex 50p, that you’ll be instantly transported back to the Cretaceous Period.
The reverse design was created by paleo-artist Robert Nicholls, with expert guidance from Professor Paul Barret from the Natural History Museum. They worked together on a design that portrays the T-Rex ready for action in a defensive stance, bearing its tremendous teeth. In the foreground, you can also see a T-Rex skeleton and the inscriptions ‘TYRANNOSAURUS’ and ‘CRETACEOUS’, in reference to the period in which it lived.
Click here to secure the 2024 UK Tyrannosaurus 50p for your collection >>
Previous Tales of the Earth 50ps
The Royal Mint’s Tales of the Earth series celebrates the most legendary prehistoric creatures to ever roam the planet.
Dinosauria Collection
The series started in 2020 with the Dinosauria collection, which celebrated the first dinosaurs recorded in scientific literature. The Dinosauria collection included 50ps featuring the Iguanodon, the Hylaeosaurus and the Megalosaurus.
Did you know? The Megalosaurus is thought to be the first dinosaur described in scientific literature in the 1600s.
Mary Anning Collection
A year later in 2021, the Mary Anning collection was released, celebrating the first prehistoric creatures discovered by Mary Anning on the Jurassic coast. Mighty prehistoric beasts the Dimorphodon, Plesiosaurus and Temnodontosaurus all featured on UK 50ps.
Did you know? Mary Anning was just 12 years old when she discovered her first fossil. The 5.2 metre long skeleton was studied and eventually named Ichthyosaurus, or ‘fish lizard’, which lived 201-194 million years ago.
Complete your Iconic Specimens 50p Collection
Secure the Iconic Specimens Collection for your collection >>