The Jeremy Fisher 50p – commonly referred to as the ‘Frog 50p’ – caused quite the stir when it was first released in 2017, but how much is the coin worth today?
According to eBay, the 2017 Jeremy Fisher 50p sells for an average of £1.14 in circulated condition without packaging according to the most recent values in 2022. The silver proof version was sold for £60 on release and is worth a similar amount today.
There’s a lot to unpack with this fan favourite coin, so let’s waste no time and jump straight into it.
How Many Mr Jeremy Fisher 50p Coins Were Made?
There were 9,900,000 Jeremy Fisher 50p coins issued into circulation in 2017.
This year saw the introduction of more Beatrix Potter characters on 50p coins, including the Tale of Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten and Benjamin Bunny coins.
The Jeremy Fisher coin was also issued in a silver proof finish, with the character of Mr Fisher coloured on the design. This version had a much smaller mintage of just 30,000, was sold for £60 and was issued as a commemorative collectable coin.
While some other coins of the Beatrix Potter collections had gold versions produced, the Royal Mint didn’t produce a gold version of the Mr Jeremy fisher 50p.
Is The Mr Jeremy Fisher 50p Rare?
With a circulating mintage of just under 10 million, the Jeremy Fisher 50p is unfortunately not rare.
Despite this, the coin is still highly sought after for being one of the 13 Beatrix Potter 50ps, and if you can manage to complete the set then it will be much more valuable than having the coin on its own.
Jeremy Fisher 50p Design
The obverse of the coin features the 2015 coinage portrait of the Queen by Jody Clark, the first Royal Mint employee to create a portrait in 100 years – the practice is usually completed by artists working outside of the Mint.
The inscription ‘ELIZABETH II.D.REG.F.D.50 PENCE.2017’ appears around the portrait. Along with all other Potter coins produced that year, the 2017 Jeremy Fisher 50p features the words ‘FIFTY PENCE’ on the obverse, instead of their standard inclusion on the reverse.
The reverse design, crafted by Royal Mint designer Emma Noble, features a head and shoulders side on portrait of Jeremy Fisher, wearing his trademark jacket and shirt, with the designer’s initials ‘en’ on the bottom. This iconic design is the reason for the coin being nicknamed ‘Frog 50p’ amongst collectors.
The coloured silver proof version features a red jacket and accents Fisher’s face in yellow and light green.
Noble was chosen by the Royal Mint to design all of the various Beatrix Potter coins and took great care to stay faithful to the author’s original illustrations that adorned her novels and sketchbooks.
Noble first had to select a suitable watercolour for inclusion on the reverse, then ensure that the quality was not affected as the dimensions were reduced down to that of a 50p coin.
About Beatrix Potter And Mr Jeremy Fisher
The coin celebrates the release of Beatrix Potter’s ninth book, The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher, published by Frederick Warne and Co., Potter’s long-time publishers, in July 1906.
Potter was born into an upper-middle-class family in Brompton, London. Both of her parents, Rupert and Helen, were keen artists and encouraged her to pursue her talents. As a child, her parents took Beatrix and her brother, William, to an estate on the River Tay where the Potter children were free to roam the Scottish countryside.
This experience sparked Potter’s lifelong interest in the natural world and formed the basis for her love of animals and the countryside that shone through her novels.
From the age of eight, Potter immersed herself in the world of fairytales such as Aesop’s Fables and Edward Lear’s Book of Nonsense.
This led to a love of literature that would eventually culminate in The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which was to be followed by the rest of her famous tales.
Potter’s tales were initially rejected by publishing house Frederik Warne and Co., but upon the recommendation of renowned children’s author L. Leslie Brooke, the firm agreed to publish her work.
The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher recounts the journey of the eponymous anthropomorphic frog, as he makes his way across a pond in search of fish to catch for his dinner.
Along the way, Jeremy gets waylaid by all manner of obstacles and challenges – as well as nearly getting eaten by a fish – and the book ends with him returning home to the safety of his ‘slippy-sloppy’ house on the side of the pond.
Where Can You Sell A Jeremy Fisher 50p?
If you want to sell a Mr Jeremy Fisher 50p there are a few places you can go.
For circulated versions, you’re probably best going to eBay, but some other options include Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace.
If you have an uncirculated version you can also try the same places but it will take longer for it to sell.