UK 50p issued marking the 100th anniversary of the BBC

The BBC has broadcasted some of the world’s most exciting highs over the past 100 years but has also had the hard task of delivering some of the biggest lows.

And to mark this centenary milestone, The Royal Mint have issued a UK 50p with a design that symbolises the BBC’s global impact.

2022 UK 100th Anniversary of the BBC 50p

2022 100 Years of BBC 50p
2022 100 Years of BBC 50p

This coin has been developed in partnership with the BBC and designed by Henry Gray, resulting in a fantastic tribute to the Broadcasting Corporation.

Struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality, this coin is the perfect way to mark 100 years of broadcasting.

If you want to secure your 2022 UK 100th Anniversary of the BBC CERTIFIED BU 50p today for £4.99 (+p&p), click here >>

Radio and television have revolutionised our everyday, providing us with important news and endless entertainment.

Last year we saw John Logie Baird, ‘The Father of the Television’, celebrated on a UK 50p coin – and quite rightly so, because where would we be without our TVs?

2021 John Logie Baird 50p. Showing a television mast and concentric circles depicting electronic waves. With the inscription: 'John Logie Baird Television Pioneer - 1888 1946'.
Queen Elizabeth II's portrait features on the obverse.
2021 John Logie Baird 50p.

The design features key milestones from Baird’s life, presented between lines of transmission.

But this isn’t the first coin to showcase a design with waves of transmission. The Royal Mint marked the 100th anniversary of wireless transmission in 2001 with a UK £2, pictured below.

2001 Wireless Transmission £2 coin reverse design.
2001 Wireless Transmission £2.

In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian physicist, succeeded in sending the first radio transmission across the Atlantic Ocean.

The message – simply containing the Morse code signal for the letter ‘s’ – travelled more than 2,000 miles from Poldhu in Cornwall to Newfoundland in Canada and won him worldwide fame and a Nobel Prize in physics in 1909.

Both coins have been popular with collectors, suggesting this new 2022 UK 100th Anniversary of our BBC CERTIFIED BU 50p may reach the same levels of demand.

Have you got either of these interesting coins in your collection? Let us know in the comments!


Secure the 2022 UK 100th Anniversary of the BBC 50p for your collection

If you want to secure your 2022 UK 100th Anniversary of the BBC CERTIFIED BU 50p today for £4.99 (+p&p), click here >>

Secure your 100 Years of the BBC 50p

What will King Charles IIIs Royal Cypher look like?

The EIIR royal cypher (Elizabeth II Regina) has become a staple of our everyday lives. Consequently, the nation is asking, ‘what will King Charles III’s Royal Cypher look like?’

The EIIR royal cypher adorned our postboxes, passports, official uniform for over 70 years. It even appeared on coins – including Her Majesty’s 90th and 95th Birthday £5s.

Subsequently, as we welcome our new King, we will also see his royal cypher. During the proclamation ceremony at Buckingham Palace on the 10th September 2022, it’s believed that this cypher was worn on his Majesty’s tie pin.

King Charles addresses nation at the official Proclamation. Seen wearing a pin that could be his royal cypher.
King Charles III wearing his cypher after he was confirmed King (Pictures: PA)

However, the official new royal cypher has now been revealed. As expected, it shows his Majesty’s initials, ‘CR‘ which stand for Charles Rex – the latin word for King.

The letter ‘R’ was also used as the King signed his name on the proclamation, as part of the long-standing tradition which goes back as far as Henry I in the early 12th century.

King Charles III Royal Cypher. Credit: Buckingham Palace

Replacing the EIIR Royal Cypher

The King’s royal cypher will eventually take over the Queen’s EIIR Royal Cypher. Significantly on government buildings, uniforms, and official documents.

The Royal Mail has confirmed “all existing post boxes [or those prepared for installation] will… also retain the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II” (EIIR Royal Cypher).

Thereafter, stamps will be updated once Royal Mail have completed the process of creating new designs with the portrait of the King.

As for coins, circulating coinage featuring Her Majesty’s portrait continue to be legal tender. While new coins featuring the King’s portrait will be very exciting for collectors, expect them to circulate slowly.

Remember, it is tradition for the portrait of the new monarch to face in the opposite direction, so we can expect new coins featuring the King to show his portrait facing left.

Undoubtedly it will be a sought-after issue among collectors looking to preserve this historic moment for generations to come.

So, where do you think Charles III’s royal cypher should appear? What is your favourite use of the EIIR royal cypher? Let us know in the comments below.

If you’d like to find out more about what’s set to happen next to UK coins and banknotes, head over to our FAQ page here >>


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Preparing for change – what happens to UK coins and banknotes

Queen Elizabeth II was our longest reigning monarch – appearing on our UK coinage since 1953.

All 29 billion coins currently in circulation in the UK have Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy on the obverse.

Close up image of British banknotes and coins.
Close-up of British banknotes and coins.

As the nation prepares for a new monarch, questions are being asked about what happens to our UK coins and banknotes.


What happens to UK coins and banknotes with Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait and how long will they remain in circulation?

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What happens to British Isles and Commonwealth coinage with Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on it?

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What do I need to do with my QEII coins and banknotes?

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When will the King’s coinage start circulating in the UK?

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Which direction will the King’s portrait face on our UK coins?

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Will there be a new obverse designer on the coinage of the King?

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What will King Charles III’s Royal Cypher look like?

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Find, Collect, and Swap the coins in your change

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

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