The Royal Mint has confirmed that a 50p coin featuring King Charles III on the obverse will be issued into circulation in December 2022, a little over one month’s time at the time of writing this article.
This is a huge moment for collectors across the country, so let’s take a deep dive into the specifications and mintage of the coin to see how sought after it will become.
When Will The New King Charles 50p Coins Be Released?
The new 50p will be released in December 2022, according to the Royal Mint.
They had previously confirmed in September that a 50p was going into circulation this year and unveiled both the reverse and obverse design for the coin, which we’ll take a closer look at shortly.
This will be the first coin featuring King Charles to enter circulation, and given that there are around 27 billion coins in circulation with the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II there is no doubt that they will stand out.
How Many Are Being Produced?
The mintage for the new King Charles 50p is set to be 9.6 million.
This is a fairly large amount and was likely intended to be this way as there will be a huge demand for these coins from collectors.
Will They Be Worth Anything?
A mintage of 9.6 million is not very low by collector standards.
For some context, here are a couple of other circulating 50p coins with similar mintages and their average selling prices on eBay in 2022:
- 2016 Peter Rabbit 50p (mintage of 9.7 million) – Sells for an average of £1.37
- Jeremy Fisher 50p (mintage of 9.9 million) – Sells for an average of £1.14.
- Paddington at the Tower 50p (mintage around 9 million) – Sells for an average of £1.37.
However, it’s important to consider that the new King Charles 50p will be the first of its kind and the start of a new era of coin collecting. We will be tracking the value of the coin over the next year to see how much it sells for, but it’s expected to be higher than those mentioned above.
A Closer Look At The Design
The King Charles 50p represents a new era for coin collectors and features an obverse and reverse design that have not been seen before on any 50p coin in circulation
Reverse
The reverse design of the new King Charles 50p pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II with the same reverse design shown on the 1953 Coronation Crown.
This is the first time we have seen a new reverse design on a circulating 50p since 2020 when the Diversity Built Britain and Peace Prosperity Friendship 50p coins were introduced.
It is also the first time a circulating 50p coin has shown a reverse design from a pre-decimal coin, which makes the coin even more interesting.
Obverse
The obverse of this coin features the new portrait of King Charles III facing left, the opposite direction of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Why Isn’t The King Wearing A Crown On The Obverse?
Previous Kings who have been featured on coins were never shown to be wearing a crown. This is something that is done by tradition, with Queens depicted with headwear instead.
Queen Elizabeth II, on the other hand, had 5 different portraits throughout her reign with hardwear worn on each one.
Uncirculated Versions
The King Charles 50p was initially released in uncirculated versions for collectors alongside a £5 coin before the release of the standard version into circulation in December.
These varieties include brilliant uncirculated, silver proof, silver proof piedfort and gold proof with prices ranging from less than £100 all the way to over £1,000.
Final Thoughts
The King Charles 50p would make a fine addition to any coin collection.
It will be the first coin issued into circulation featuring the new King and a unique reverse design that we have not seen on circulating coins before. Although the mintage will be high (and rightfully so) there’s no doubt that these coins will become very collectable in the years to come.