In recent years there's one coin that has catapulted to the top of the must-have list for many collectors. Of course, I'm talking about the 50p.
And whilst the 50p has always had a place in collector's hearts – it has after all featured some of the most sought-after designs of all-time, such as Kew Gardens – it wasn't until Beatrix Potter's mischievous, blue-coated bunny first appeared on a 50p that our love for the 7-sided coin really took off. And with it came a whole new dawn of collecting, and a new generation of collectors.
Our tale starts back in 2016…
150th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter
It all started with the milestone 150th anniversary of one of Britain's most beloved children's book authors – Beatrix Potter.
- View the whole range of Beatirx Potter 50p coins from The Royal Mint, featuring Peter Rabbit, Miss Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Squirrel Nutkin. Secure them in Certified Brilliant Uncirculated quality, the collector's favourite and superior to those you find in your change.
- View the whole range of Beatirx Potter 50p coins from The Royal Mint, featuring Peter Rabbit, Miss Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Squirrel Nutkin. Secure them in Certified Brilliant Uncirculated quality, the collector's favourite and superior to those you find in your change.
- Triathlon 50p (1,163,500) 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p (1,400,000) Flopsy Bunny 50p (1,400,000) Tennis 50p (1,454,000) Basketball 50p (1,478,000) Goalball 50p (1,615,500) see the Rare 50p Coins page for more information. 50p Coin Values. Check our 50p coins list for mintage figures and approximate values for all fifty pence coins in general circulation.
- More about the Peter Rabbit 50p This special edition 50p coin was issued in 2016 to celebrate one of Beatrix Potter's much loved characters. ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit' was the first of Beatrix Potter's tales. Beatrix Potter lived from 1866 to 1943 and was the artist behind some of the best-loved characters in children's literature.
The British decimal fifty pence (50p) coin – often informally pronounced fifty pee – is a unit of currency equalling one half of a pound sterling.It is a seven-sided coin formed as an equilateral-curve heptagon, or Reuleaux polygon, a curve of constant width, meaning that the diameter is constant across any bisection.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was her very first children's tale to be published, in 1902, and it was an instant success. Spurred on by this, and inspired by fairy tales and fantasy, Potter penned 23 original children's books in total, featuring charming illustrations and imaginative animal characters.
What Beatrix Potter didn't know at the time was that her lively illustrations would later prove to be the inspiration behind one of, if not the, most popular coin series ever released.
Peter Rabbit's 50p Debut
In honour of Beatrix Potter and her legacy, the Royal Mint announced a 50p coin collection in 2016, featuring four of her characters, and a design paying tribute to the author herself.
The obvious starting place was with Beatrix Potter's most famous creation – Peter Rabbit. Known for his cheeky escapades in Mr McGregor's garden, Peter Rabbit featured in 6 of Beatrix Potter's tales.
The 50p release of Peter Rabbit was special for several reasons:
- First time a fictional, children's book character had featured on a UK 50p – paving the way for future popular issues such as The Gruffalo, The Snowman and Paddington Bear.
- The Silver Proof version of the coin featured colour printed image for the very first time.
These two facts revolutionised 50p collecting, and our furry little friend Peter went from being a beloved literary character to a collecting sensation.
Start of the Collecting Storm
It's safe to say that The Royal Mint created a collecting storm. The UK 2016 Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was so popular that by mid-morning on the day it was released, The Royal Mint's website crashed under the sheer weight of public interest. Not long after, all 15,000 coins completely sold out.
But that was just the start.
Peter Rabbit has now featured on five 50ps, and the collector response has continued to be unprecedented – his popularity is unrivalled. Even when the edition limit of the Silver Proof 50p more than doubled to 35,000 in 2018, it completely sold out!
In fact, the Silver Proof 50p has become the must-have specification and sell-outs mean it's notoriously difficult for collectors looking to back-fill gaps in their collections – some issues are virtually impossible to come across now.
It's become imperative for collectors to snap up Silver Proof 50ps when they can – as in some cases waiting even just a few hours could prove to be too late. Take the Gruffalo Silver 50p – it took a mere 12 hours for the entire edition limit of 25,000 to sell-out. That's a record.
Last Ever UK Peter Rabbit 50p
All in all, there has been 15 Beatrix Potter 50ps issued since 2016, each one helping solidify the Beatrix Potter 50p series as one of, if not the, most collectable coin series we've ever seen.
The coin collecting world was shook earlier this year when it was announced that 2020 would be the very last time Peter Rabbit would feature on a UK 50p coin.
Even though this may be the end of Peter Rabbit's 50p journey, there's no doubt that all the Beatrix Potter coins will continue to be highly desirable for years to come.
But this does now leave collectors wondering will the next collecting sensation be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
If you're interested…
The LAST EVER UK Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was released earlier this year, and we're lucky to have a limited number available. Expertly struck from .925 Silver to a proof finish, it features a coloured image of Peter Rabbit escaping from Mr McGregor's garden – a classic Beatrix Potter illustration! This is a must-have for all Beatrix Potter fans and 50p collectors alike. Click here for more information >>
A new 50p coin featuring the much-loved children's book character Peter Rabbit from the Beatrix Potter tales has been released by The Royal Mint.
Peter Rabbit features on three brand-new designs, including a colour silver-proof version in his trademark blue jacket.
The collectible coins are not being released into general circulation and have been selling out fast from the Royal Mint website this week.
Which? explains how you can get hold of this collector's item and how it compares to other rare coins.
Peter Rabbit 50p 2017 Worth
How can you get a Peter Rabbit 50p?
The new coins have been available to order from the Royal Mint website since Tuesday in silver-proof, gold and uncirculated.
On Friday, the gold-proof design worth £795 had sold out and 85% of the silver-proof versions, which were valued at £65, had been reserved.
The silver-proof coin depicts Peter Rabbit in full colour in his iconic blue jacket and clutching a red handkerchief, but only 30,000 have been minted.
There's no mintage figures on the uncirculated coins which cost £10, and 500 of the gold-proof coins have been minted.
Beatrix Potter series
Royal Mint released a series of Beatrix Potter 50p coins in 2016 to mark the 150th anniversary of the author's first book.
Peter Rabbit, her best-known character, has previously appeared in three other 50p designs, showing him eating carrots, running away and in close-up.
Peter Rabbit's popularity extends around the globe, thanks to 45 million copes being sold worldwide.
The mischievous rabbit became hugely popular in Japan when the books were translated 40 years ago, and so demand from overseas collectors could be a factor in how valuable the coins become. Around 15,000 Japanese visitors are said to visit Beatrix Potter's former home in the Lake District every year.
Peter Rabbit rare 50p coin on eBay
The new coins are already popping up on eBay, where disappointed collectors are paying a premium for the sold-out designs.
One gold-proof coin sold for £870 on Friday after 11 bids were received – even before the original purchaser had taken delivery of it from the Royal Mint. Always be cautious when buying online, especially when the seller cannot show you photos of the actual item.
Previous Peter Rabbit designs have continued to be popular on eBay, and occasionally sell for surprising prices. A 2016 version of the silver-proof coin recently sold on eBay for £513 after 13 bids.
That said, be wary of eBay listings at inflated or unrealistic prices, as well as fake listings. Unscrupulous sellers may place their own bids, or fake a sale at an exorbitant price, to make a coin seem more in demand than it is.
- Find out more: all our rare coins coverage
What is the rarest 50p coin?
At this stage, the new design is not being released into general circulation, but several of the Beatrix Potter 50ps have a chance of ending up in your small change.
The Jemima Puddleduck 50p is one of the rarest coins in circulation, with a mintage of just 2.1m. Meanwhile, the Squirrel Nutkin design is also a collector's item, with just 5m minted.
That said, the 2009 Kew Gardens remains the rarest of all, with just 210,00 in circulation, followed by the Sir Isaac Newton 50p, of which just 1.8m were minted.
You can see the full list in our graph below.
In honour of Beatrix Potter and her legacy, the Royal Mint announced a 50p coin collection in 2016, featuring four of her characters, and a design paying tribute to the author herself.
The obvious starting place was with Beatrix Potter's most famous creation – Peter Rabbit. Known for his cheeky escapades in Mr McGregor's garden, Peter Rabbit featured in 6 of Beatrix Potter's tales.
The 50p release of Peter Rabbit was special for several reasons:
- First time a fictional, children's book character had featured on a UK 50p – paving the way for future popular issues such as The Gruffalo, The Snowman and Paddington Bear.
- The Silver Proof version of the coin featured colour printed image for the very first time.
These two facts revolutionised 50p collecting, and our furry little friend Peter went from being a beloved literary character to a collecting sensation.
Start of the Collecting Storm
It's safe to say that The Royal Mint created a collecting storm. The UK 2016 Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was so popular that by mid-morning on the day it was released, The Royal Mint's website crashed under the sheer weight of public interest. Not long after, all 15,000 coins completely sold out.
But that was just the start.
Peter Rabbit has now featured on five 50ps, and the collector response has continued to be unprecedented – his popularity is unrivalled. Even when the edition limit of the Silver Proof 50p more than doubled to 35,000 in 2018, it completely sold out!
In fact, the Silver Proof 50p has become the must-have specification and sell-outs mean it's notoriously difficult for collectors looking to back-fill gaps in their collections – some issues are virtually impossible to come across now.
It's become imperative for collectors to snap up Silver Proof 50ps when they can – as in some cases waiting even just a few hours could prove to be too late. Take the Gruffalo Silver 50p – it took a mere 12 hours for the entire edition limit of 25,000 to sell-out. That's a record.
Last Ever UK Peter Rabbit 50p
All in all, there has been 15 Beatrix Potter 50ps issued since 2016, each one helping solidify the Beatrix Potter 50p series as one of, if not the, most collectable coin series we've ever seen.
The coin collecting world was shook earlier this year when it was announced that 2020 would be the very last time Peter Rabbit would feature on a UK 50p coin.
Even though this may be the end of Peter Rabbit's 50p journey, there's no doubt that all the Beatrix Potter coins will continue to be highly desirable for years to come.
But this does now leave collectors wondering will the next collecting sensation be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
If you're interested…
The LAST EVER UK Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was released earlier this year, and we're lucky to have a limited number available. Expertly struck from .925 Silver to a proof finish, it features a coloured image of Peter Rabbit escaping from Mr McGregor's garden – a classic Beatrix Potter illustration! This is a must-have for all Beatrix Potter fans and 50p collectors alike. Click here for more information >>
A new 50p coin featuring the much-loved children's book character Peter Rabbit from the Beatrix Potter tales has been released by The Royal Mint.
Peter Rabbit features on three brand-new designs, including a colour silver-proof version in his trademark blue jacket.
The collectible coins are not being released into general circulation and have been selling out fast from the Royal Mint website this week.
Which? explains how you can get hold of this collector's item and how it compares to other rare coins.
Peter Rabbit 50p 2017 Worth
How can you get a Peter Rabbit 50p?
The new coins have been available to order from the Royal Mint website since Tuesday in silver-proof, gold and uncirculated.
On Friday, the gold-proof design worth £795 had sold out and 85% of the silver-proof versions, which were valued at £65, had been reserved.
The silver-proof coin depicts Peter Rabbit in full colour in his iconic blue jacket and clutching a red handkerchief, but only 30,000 have been minted.
There's no mintage figures on the uncirculated coins which cost £10, and 500 of the gold-proof coins have been minted.
Beatrix Potter series
Royal Mint released a series of Beatrix Potter 50p coins in 2016 to mark the 150th anniversary of the author's first book.
Peter Rabbit, her best-known character, has previously appeared in three other 50p designs, showing him eating carrots, running away and in close-up.
Peter Rabbit's popularity extends around the globe, thanks to 45 million copes being sold worldwide.
The mischievous rabbit became hugely popular in Japan when the books were translated 40 years ago, and so demand from overseas collectors could be a factor in how valuable the coins become. Around 15,000 Japanese visitors are said to visit Beatrix Potter's former home in the Lake District every year.
Peter Rabbit rare 50p coin on eBay
The new coins are already popping up on eBay, where disappointed collectors are paying a premium for the sold-out designs.
One gold-proof coin sold for £870 on Friday after 11 bids were received – even before the original purchaser had taken delivery of it from the Royal Mint. Always be cautious when buying online, especially when the seller cannot show you photos of the actual item.
Previous Peter Rabbit designs have continued to be popular on eBay, and occasionally sell for surprising prices. A 2016 version of the silver-proof coin recently sold on eBay for £513 after 13 bids.
That said, be wary of eBay listings at inflated or unrealistic prices, as well as fake listings. Unscrupulous sellers may place their own bids, or fake a sale at an exorbitant price, to make a coin seem more in demand than it is.
- Find out more: all our rare coins coverage
What is the rarest 50p coin?
At this stage, the new design is not being released into general circulation, but several of the Beatrix Potter 50ps have a chance of ending up in your small change.
The Jemima Puddleduck 50p is one of the rarest coins in circulation, with a mintage of just 2.1m. Meanwhile, the Squirrel Nutkin design is also a collector's item, with just 5m minted.
That said, the 2009 Kew Gardens remains the rarest of all, with just 210,00 in circulation, followed by the Sir Isaac Newton 50p, of which just 1.8m were minted.
You can see the full list in our graph below.
This year the Royal Mint has also released coins celebrating the children literary monster The Gruffalo and a design honouring the life and work of professor Stephen Hawking.
What makes a rare 50p coin more valuable?
Generally, the number of coins in circulation determines the asking price, as a collector may be happy to pay more for a design that's hard to find.
The popularity of the design and theme can also influence its value, as well as the condition of the coin and whether it's free from scratches or marks.
Last year, Which? looked the dark side of the coin investment craze and the potential risks.
2016 Peter Rabbit 50p Uk
You can find out more in our video about investing in coins.
