Kew Gardens 50p

The rarer the coin the more money it is worth, though the value also depends on its condition

Dec 31, 2019 A 50p coin featuring an image of the pagoda at Kew Gardens is worth more than 200 times its face value, making it the most valuable in circulation Only 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p coins were minted. By far, the rarest and most desirable 50p in circulation is the Kew Gardens coin. Originally minted in 2009, people didn’t realise how scarce this coin was until circulation figures were revealed years later. Only 210,000 were minted, in contrast to the millions that are minted for most designs. The Kew Gardens 50p Design. On its obverse, the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p piece bears the fourth definitive UK coin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Designed by sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, this portrait was introduced in 1998. The engraving displays a more mature portrait of the Queen.

As the UK’s decimalisation anniversary approaches, The Royal Mint has revealed its top 10 rarest 50 pence coins, and how much they could be worth.

Are Commemorative Coins Worth Collecting

The UK moved to ‘new money’ pounds and pence, from ‘old money’ shillings and pence, almost 50 years ago, with the anniversary approaching on 15 February 2021.

Since then, over 70 variations of the 50p coin have been circulating and several rare designs have been distributed.

Here, we look at the rarest 50p coins and how many of each have been made - could the spare change in your purse be worth more than you thought?

What makes a coin valuable?

The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.

Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.

The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.

Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.

The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on ebay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.

What are the rarest 50p coins in circulation?

Rare 50 Pence Coins

The Royal Mint has revealed the most valuable 50p coin, ahead of the 1971 decimalisation’s golden anniversary.

The rarest is the Kew’s Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design.

The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on ebay.

The other rarest coins stem predominantly from the 2011 Olympics, with the wrestling, football and judo coins among the most valuable. Only 1.1million of each of these coins were produced.

Flopsy bunny and Peter Rabbit designs which were produced in 2018 are also highly valuable.

These coins - 1.4 million of which were minted - depict the characters from Beatrix Potter’s novels and celebrate the life of the English writer and these sell for around £5.

In 2019, 500 million coins were produced, with three new 50p designs.

Kew Gardens 50p Value

These included one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Paddington Bear at St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.

Top 10 most valuable 50p coins

Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:

Coins Worth Money In 2020

Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000

Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500

Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500

Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500

Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500

Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000

Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000

Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000

Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500

Olympic Shooting (2011), 1,656,500