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

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?

Continue reading >>


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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Code-Cracking Coins Go Global!

Today we’ve heard the news of an Australian 50 cent coin being released featuring a code-cracking design which has got Change Checkers across the globe talking…

That’s because FOUR unique layers of code have been included in the design, each containing special messages about the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) – with the coin issued in celebration of their 75th anniversary.

New Australian 50 cent celebrates 75th Anniversary of the ASD. Credit: Royal Australian Mint

The challenge for Australian collectors really is on to decipher the codes, including modern binary messages alongside coding which dates back thousands of years!

But, for collectors here in the UK, I’m sure this new Australian 50 cent has got you thinking about a recent 50p release with a design just waiting to be deciphered…

This UK 50p was issued to celebrate the life and achievements of famed war hero and cryptologist, Alan Turing.

Now, there’s no surprise this coin was popular with collectors. Not only is the 50p the UK’s most collected coin, but the release of last year’s Turing £50 banknote was the talk of the town! However, what really caught the attention of collectors was the design of the 50p…

You see, The Royal Mint have included not just one, but THREE hidden codes on the reverse of the Alan Turing 50p – can you spot them all?

GEARS GRIN THAN

Can you spot the words ‘GEARS GRIN THAN’ on the design of this coin?


When these words are entered into the ‘What 3 Words‘ navigation database, it shows a location for the University of Cambridge, where Turing studied mathematics!

ONLY A FORETASTE OF WHAT’S TO COME

The next hidden message is one of my favourite features of any UK coin.


Alan Turing’s famous quote ‘Only a foretaste of what is to come’ appears as an inscription.
This quote came from his reflections of his code-breaking machine, Bombe.

CD AND MD

And of course, the designers behind this fantastic design get an honorary feature, with Christian Davies and Matt Dent’s initials featuring as an inscription.

I’m sure you’ll agree that these new coins are quite unlike anything we’ve seen before and the code-breaking elements are an incredibly fun addition to an already stunning design.

I’d love to hear what you think of these designs and whether you can crack the codes! Let me know in the comments below!

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