Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Could Your 50p coin net you a small fortune?
Moneymagpie Team
10th Jun 2020
The Brexit 50p coin released this year could be worth a small fortune in the future – so if you get your hands on one, maybe it’s time to stash it away! If you’ve got another rare 50p coin, like the Kew Gardens one, you could make a LOT of cash on it. Keep reading to find out what they’re worth!
But why are some coins more valuable than their face value – and why is the Brexit 50p particularly interesting?
- Why commemorative coins exist
- The history of the Brexit 50p
- Examples of other valuable coins to look for
- Should you invest in rare coins?
- How much could the Brexit 50p be worth in the future?
WHY COMMEMORATIVE COINS EXIST
The Royal Mint releases special coins every year. The fewer produced, the rarer – and more valuable – they are. In 2018, for example, 26 new coins were released – each with a letter of the alphabet and an image representing something in the UK that starts with that letter.
Popular ones for collectors to find include the Zebra Crossing coin, the Yeoman Warder, and the Angel of the North.
Sports events also influence commemorative coins: the 2012 Olympics coins come with a collectable price tag.
THE HISTORY OF THE BREXIT 50P COIN
Ten million Brexit coins enter circulation throughout 2020 – but it’s not the first Brexit coin created. It’s the third attempt!
The first batch of 1,000 prototypes were created in anticipation of the original 31st March 2019 Brexit date. That, of course, never happened – so the next attempt was a million coins minted in preparation for the 31st October 2019 Brexit date.
Imagine having a commemorative coin with the wrong date on it – that’d guarantee you a small FORTUNE in the future! However, those million coins were, alas, melted down when the second Brexit date came and went.
The final version – released on 31st January 2020 – coincides with the actual Brexit date.
OTHER COINS WORTH MORE THAN FACE VALUE
Commemorative coins are sometimes worth only their actual monetary value. Those are the ones with millions and millions of coins released, without particularly beautiful or memorable designs.
Look in your wallet now – you’ve probably already got some special coins in there that you’re using as spare change.
(If you want to save your spare change to make future investments and fortune, check out our article about ideal habits of savers!)
However, keep an eye out for these designs – and take a look at what they could net you!
1. The Offside Rule 50p
Released in 2012 as part of the Olympics celebration coin range, this 50p piece easily sells for £10. That’s an investment return of 950% – pretty neat, right?!
2. The EU Commemorative 50p
The original coin, minted in 1992, would have fetched you a princely sum. They’ve been taken out of circulation though, as the 50p coin size changed in 1997. Instead, keep an eye out for the more recently-minted, smaller 50p coin – it currently offers a sale price around £20.
However, with Brexit, the price of this particular commemorative coin could soon rocket!
3. The Kew Gardens 50p
One of the more famous collectable coins, this one was released in 2008.
The run was so low – only 210,000 were minted – that if you nab one of these you could sell it on eBay for £120.
4. The Undated 2008 20p
One thing that makes coins collectable is errors! If something is incorrect, they’re often recalled and melted down for a new run to be minted.
However, the undated 20p piece in 2008 could net you a MASSIVE £200 or more on the private market – check your change now!
5. The Aquatic Olympics 50p (Obscured Face)
Finally, if you’ve got one of these hanging around in your purse or down the back of the sofa, seriously consider selling it (or hanging onto it for a future investment!).
The aquatic 50p piece was another in the 2012 Olympic range. The design went a little wrong when first minted: the original 600 created weren’t very clear. So, they tidied up the design to make the swimmer’s face in water much easier to see.
Image courtesy of Changechecker.org
If you’ve got an obscured face aquatic Olympic coin, it could sell for over £3,000.
You read that correctly.
Should you invest in rare coins?
Demand for rare and collectable coins goes up and down over time. That means some may be more popular in the future than they are now – and the in-demand ones, like the Beatrix Potter series, may drop in value as people lose interest.
The coins that’ll always do better long-term are the ones with errors, like the undated 2008 coin or the original Aquatic Olympics coin. That’s because errors are (usually) quickly corrected by the Royal Mint: so it increases the rarity element as well as the value created by a desirable design.
Collecting coins can net you a fortune if you’re very lucky. However, most people who create a coin collection do so for the love of the designs as much as the potential investment, too. If you’re fascinated by coin design, they could be a good investment.
It pays off to always check your spare change – and to be aware of valuable coins in circulation – but it’s not a guaranteed investment.
If you want to look at how much the change in your stash could be worth, visit changechecker.org and look up your coins!
How much could the Brexit 50p coin be worth in the future?
How long is a piece of string?! The trouble with Brexit is, well, the troubles of Brexit. We all know how the last few years have been turbulent – and we still don’t know what the future holds.
It could be worth a lot in the future: if you come across one, there’s no harm in stashing it just in case.
However, with ten million set to be minted and put into circulation in 2020, it’ll have one of the highest mints of any coin. So, it won’t be worth a fortune straight away – maybe stash the ones you come across and perhaps in the future you’ll see great returns on a small investment!
Further to my previous comment, the “Queen’s Nose” 50p with the 9 hands represents the original 9 members of the EEC / Common Market; this was the first commemorative 50p and the only UK issued one before the new smaller 50p coins from 1997.
The 50p is my favourite coin and I always look through my change for interesting ones; Dad and I collect unusual ones.
I’ve never had one that’s worth more than 50p though:-(
My dad collects 50p coins – I give him any unusual ones in exchange for 50p or items to the value of whatever number I have.
There used to be stall at Chesterfield flea market (pre Covid19) that had a lot of different 50p coins – I’ve never bought any 50p coins but I check my change for interesting and unusual ones.
The EU 50p was actually minted in 1973 and was the subject of Dick King Smith’s book “The Queen’s Nose”.
50p. Brexit coin, Peace Prosperity and friendship
How much is anybody willing to pay for one of these special coins
I have a collection of 50p but those are not very rare. I will continue to hoard if possible.
Looking forward to see if I can find the Brexit 50p.
I have the brexit one what would you give me for it
i have got it