As the 50p turns 50 this year, the Royal Mint is celebrating this milestone moment for one of our best-loved and most collectable 
coins with the re-introduction of the 50p ‘New Pence’ design which hasn’t been seen on a UK circulating coin since 1982.
The first 50p was officially introduced in October 1969 to replace the ten-shilling note, and featured a revolutionary, but at the time controversial seven-sided design. This very design, a depiction of Britannia by Christopher Ironside, was the first design to appear on the new 50p.
For the first time, this strike your own coin available from The Royal Mint Experience also combines Augmented Reality technology produced by Zappar. After individuals strike their 2019 50p ‘New Pence’, they will then be able to view exclusive content directly from scanning the specially designed visual marker on the packaging.
Nicola Howell, Director of the Consumer Business at The Royal Mint said:
“The opportunity to strike your own coin at The Royal Mint Experience has always been very popular with collectors. As we mark such a significant anniversary, we know the 2019 50p New Pence will be equally appealing, as this is currently the only place customers can get this coin in this presentation for a limited time period.”
The Royal Mint Experience provides a great opportunity to go behind the scenes and discover stories from The Royal Mint’s 1,100 year history. Visitors can see for themselves how coins are made, then tour through a series of walk-through interactive exhibition zones that bring the organisation’s rich heritage to life. Recently, The Royal Mint Experience introduced a new temporary exhibition to celebrate 50 years in Llantrisant, where individuals have the opportunity to hold a gold bar worth approximately £400,000.
Members of the public will be able to strike their 2019 dated Brilliant Uncirculated commemorative 50p New Pence for an additional charge of £6.90 after booking a Royal Mint Experience tour. If members of the public wish to strike more than one coin, there will be an additional cost of £8.90 per coin. Customers are limited to 1 tour a day but are allowed to strike a maximum of 5 coins per tour.
