The BBC 50p is one of the most recent 50p coins to be issued in 2022.
There’s a lot of hype around this coin, and in this article, we’ll break down why this is the case and what it means for the potential value of the coin in the future.
Commemoration
The BBC 50p was issued to commemorate 100 years since the formation of the British Broadcasting Company in 1922.
Although the first live public broadcast in Britain took place in 1920, it wasn’t until 1922 that the BBC was officially formed. This was due to licensing issues which were resolved when the General Post Office issued a license to the BBC under general manager John Reith.
At this time the BBC was a company rather than a corporation, and it wasn’t until 1927 that it became a corporation.
Since that time the BBC has gone on to become the largest broadcasting company by number of employees.
Has The BBC Been Featured On Any Other Coin?
The British Broadcasting Corporation has never been featured on another coin, including both 50p and £2 coins, before.
The only similar coin to have been issued is the John Logie Baird 50p which was issued in 2021. Baird created the first live working television system in 1926, which would be used to transmit the first television programmes by the BBC in 1929.
Will The BBC 50p Enter Circulation?
Following the Queen’s death in September there has been a lot of speculation about what will happen to coins in the coming years.
While it has been confirmed that a new 50p coin will enter circulation this year bearing the new portrait of King Charles III, it is highly unlikely that the BBC 50p will enter circulation.
Obverse Design
The obverse design of the BBC 50p is the main point of interest of the coin as it features the fifth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, rather than King Charles III.
This is because the coins were produced before the Queen’s passing in September, so the Royal Mint made the decision to issue the coins as they were made rather than producing new versions to minimise the environmental impact.
This has created a huge stir in the collecting community, and we’ll explore the impact this could have on the future value of the coin later in this article.
Reverse Design
The reverse design of the BBC 50p coin was created by Henry Gray, whose initials can be seen at the bottom of the design.
Gray was drawn to the project and created a stunning design that shows concentric circles from a broadcasting pole around a tilted globe. The inscriptions ‘1922-2022’, ‘100 YEARS OF OUR BBC’ as well as the values ‘INFORM EDUCATE ENTERTAIN’ are found on the circles.
Where Can You Buy The Coin?
If you want to purchase a BBC 50p directly from the Royal Mint’s website you’ll have to wait for more stock, as at the time of writing this article every version of the coin is sold out – including the brilliant uncirculated, silver proof, silver proof piedfort and gold proof versions of the coin.
Other online retailers such as the Westminster collection are also offering the coin in brilliant uncirculated finish, but it seems that there is a delay with deliveries.
Will The BBC 50p Become Sought After?
Given that the BBC 50p features Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse it is probably fair to say that it will be sought after in the years to come.
At the time of writing this article, all of the versions of the coin have sold out completely and are awaiting stock on the Royal Mint’s website. Given that this has happened only one day after launch it’s clear to see the demand for this coin.
There’s no doubt that the coin will go on to be sold for more in the future, as seen with other similar 50p coins like the 2020 Team GB 50p that was also uncirculated and featured the incorrect date due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a coin to add to your collection the BBC 50p is a great choice given the fact that it was issued with the fifth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
We’ll be watching this coin closely in the years to come to see how much the value increases as collectors look to add it to their collections.
