The 50p coin has been a favourite since it was introduced at the dawn of the decimal age.

Its unique, seven-sided shape and a big, blank canvas made it perfect for some eye-catching special designs. 

Those have become a magnet for collectors. And, in turn, the coin has become a favourite of viral trading crazes that can really drive prices up. 

In reality, the rarity of the vast majority of 50p coins is very relative. Like most modern circulating coins they’re produced in very large numbers and are designed to last. Errors and issue mistakes are genuinely scarce, but most traded 50p rarities are rare as traded and collected coins rather than truly very rare. 

And that means if you’re in the know and can spot those sought-after coins you could be on to a lucrative winner. 

Here are the 10 rarest 50ps according to the Royal Mint. 

10: Olympic Goalball 2011

1,615,500 minted 

All images from the Royal Mint. 

This competition winner is one of a number in this list from the London 2012 Olympics. The coins hit pockets and purses in 2011. Most of the series were minted in numbers under 2 million and that makes them a rarity. This coin celebrates goal ball, a game played by athletes with vision impairment. Finland won the men’s goalball gold and Japan the women’s.

Selling now for £2 to £16 on eBay. 

9: Olympic Tennis 2011

1,454,000 minted 

Andy Murray’s gold in tennis makes this one for British tennis collectors to cherish too. The mintage is easily small enough to make them hard to spot, and 15 years after the fact they’re well worth grabbing if you see them.  

Around £8 for used examples, tens of pounds for the best condition survivors. 

8: Flopsy Bunny 2018

1,400,000 minted 

Beatrix Potter characters are also collectible in their own right, and the author’s children’s books include some considerable publishing rarities. A watercolour by Potter sold for nearly £300,0000 in 2009. Designer Emma Noble translated Potter’s vision into metal and pleased coin collectors, who continue to seek out this design.  

Up to £10 for good, circulated coins. 

7: Peter Rabbit 2018

1,400,000 minted

In the same series as his sister Flopsy, Peter Rabbit was also a low-number issue with bags of appeal. 

Around £5 on eBay, but there are errors too that can get into the 100s. (Beware of inflated prices driven by overheated and self-fulfilling press coverage.) 

6: Olympic Triathlon 2011

1,163,500 minted

Another in the Olympic series of competition designs. This one is by Sarah Harvey, capturing the speed and effort of the toughest race in sport. 

£18 for good condition circulated examples of this popular design. 

5: Olympic Judo 2011

1,161,500 minted

David Cornell won the competition to design this 2012 coin, which is loved for its detail. 

Around £20 for circulated examples. 

4: Olympic Wrestling 2011

1,129,500 minted

Roderick Enruquez’s design is cleverly put together, and a favourite of collectors thanks to its low mintage. 

£25 and up for circulated examples. £40 to £50 for mint. 

3: Olympic Football 2011

1,125,500 minted 

Neil Wolfson is behind this design attempting to explain the offside rule - no VAR back in 2012. The lowest mintage of the Olympic issues plus the massive appeal of football make it a natural for collecting value. 

As much as £35 for good circulated coins. Maybe over £100 for top graded mint coins. 

2: Kew Gardens 2009

210,000 minted 

One of the best designs in the 50p’s history, this coin would be enjoyed even if it wasn’t extremely rare. The tiny mintage and attractive take on the Chinese pagoda at Kew meant collectors put them straight into their collections as they were issued. If you see the recognisable building in your change check the date; a 2019 issue celebrated the 10th anniversary of the first coin but is not as collectible.

Generally over £100 for circulated examples. 

1: Atlantic Salmon 2023

200,000 minted 

This is the current rarest 50p, created for King Charles III’s accession. First issues are always sought out by collectors, so if you have one of these you should certainly keep it out of your pocket and in the best condition possible. 

Upwards of £25 for circulated examples. One almost guaranteed to have future value. 

Looking for rare 50p coins 

There is a whole genre of articles - and this is perhaps one we must admit - around this area that rely on eye-catching claims. 

And there is a danger in that. If one seller decides they have some rare, undiscovered error of a Peter Rabbit coin and lists it at a market site for £25,000, you then have a headline that reads, “The coin in your change that could be worth £25,000”. This can then become circular. 

Mass mintages, even of these very low numbers, are very rarely worth very large amounts of money. 

And condition is also key to value. 

So, it is definitely worth looking through your change, and picking out 50ps to check for the coins on this list.  

The most likely super-rare survivor is a Brexit coin that had to be ditched. Withdrawn coins (and stamps) should be destroyed, but there are very often survivors, and two coins showing an earlier date for Brexit that the negotiation process couldn’t match have been valued at £40,000 - though the Royal Mint has declined to authenticate them, and a coin like this is a very obvious target for fakers.

As ever, look for reputable dealers and online sellers with good feedback and good returns policies and guarantees when you shop for any collectible. 

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