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Two 50p coins we are going to cover here, are a 2009 50p Blue Peter coin and a 2018 50p Newton coin. We set up our benchmark by using the 2009 50p Kew Gardens coin in order to see what is the rare coin within a 50p coin group from 1971 to present. For presenting a best picture of the rarest UK 50p coin in circulation, we must firstly define two base lines of term of rarity: a). mintage and b). statue of a coin: in current circulation where the coin is not out of date in decimalisation system. Therefore, we can talk more on a same topic.
Scenario I and II are used to illustrate the two base lines the above mentioned, and each scenario case followed by a supportive table.
Scenario I: Counting mintage only!
A mintage figure is important. A coin is naturally connected with its mintage. Coins are minted in place for daily use by a Mint. It is really hard to say how many coins a Mint needs to get prepared in advance, because demand is really hard to predict, due to many factors involved and cashless is getting more clear in our daily life in post-pandemic period.
In this part, we are going to list the rarest 50p coin in terms of official mintage as below:
| Name | Year | Mintage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| the Single Market EEC | 1992/93 | 109,000 | 30.00mm & 16.00g, UNC |
| Kew Gardens | 2009 | 210,000 | 27.30mm & 8.00g, UNC |
| Blue Peter | 2009 | 19,751 | no official figure, UNC in blister |
| Isaac Newton | 2018 | 20,826 | Royal Mint Experience BUNC in folder |
Table A in Scenario I shows the rarest 50p since 1971 explicitly. However, there is one condition, solid condition, that cannot be removed easily — “…, currently in circulating 50p coin [from the Royal Mint announcement]”. Also, this point will be broken down into a). a circulating 50p coin and b). a circulating commemorative 50p coin. Therefore, Scenario II is derived from here.
Scenario II: Considering mintage upon the statue of a coin.
In terms of the statue of a coin, it could be circulating or non-circulating. This is the way the Royal Mint used to trigger consumers psychologically.
| Name | Year | Mintage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kew Gardens | 2009 | 210,000 | 27.30mm & 8.00g; circulating coin |
| Blue Peter | 2009 | 19,751 | no official figure, in folder; circulating coin |
| Isaac Newton | 2018 | 20,826 | Royal Mint Experience folder; non-circulating coin |
Table A & B are the two very interesting tables. This is because Table A is reflecting a full picture of UK 50p coin over time, and Table B however just shows partially. If there is a conflict between the logic created by time naturally and the logic man-made, which one you would follow? If the man-made logic works in any scenarios, it means everything is under control by people who set up the man-made logic, indicating MOTIVATION. At the moment, people or collectors are spending over £400 on a Kew in folder. What about a Blue Peter coin??? and a EEC coin??? This is really a good question to be asked ourself. We all are driven by the Royal Mint marketing strategy.
Let we have a look what do they look like in terms of Blue Peter and Newton SYO (2018).
- 2009* UK 50p UNC Coin Blue Peter
- [For comparison] 2011* UK 50p BUNC Coin High Jump
Credit richukcoins®
*Note: UNC and BUNC are totally different two grades in terms of a finish standard.
- 2018 Royal Mint Experience Newton 50p coin Strike Your Own (SYO)
Credit richukcoins®
Please, donot get confused with 2017 Newton 50p coin. The reason you are going to see a 2018 Newton 50p coin is because the Mint have to use/create a thing (/or things) to marketing the Royal Mint Experience where they spent a lot time to build. Furthermore, 50p coin was becoming a hot potato between 2016 and 2017 in the UK. Therefore, that is the reason of the birth of 2018 Newton 50p coin. Yes, donot forget that 2018 Newton 50p coin is a coin that you strike it on your own (ie., Strike Your Own = SYO) at the Royal Mint Experience. This makes 2009 50p Blue Peter coin and 2018 50p Newton SYO coin a little bit different in nature.
2009 50p Blue Peter coin and 2018 50p Newton SYO coin are both rare in terms of mintage and qualified by the term of currently circulating. So, collectors, are you going to pay price over the roof on a 2009 50p Kew Gardens coin? Answers are already in you mind after this read. Mission still carries on. However, we will not know which one will be the next rarest 50p coin. Life expects many uncertainty, keep positive.
#The End