Britannia 50p coins by year
Three Britannia 50p designs were issued from 1969 to 2008, all of them for circulation. The rarest in change is the Britannia (FIFTY PENCE, large) 50p (1982 to 1997), with 114,819,007 struck for circulation.
Britannia 50p value by year
| Photo | Coin | Circulation mintage | Rarity rank | Circulated | Uncirculated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Britannia (NEW PENCE) 50p (1969 to 1981) | 594,917,500 | 80 of 81 | £1.10 | £3.50 |
 | Britannia (FIFTY PENCE, large) 50p (1982 to 1997) | 114,819,007 | 78 of 81 | £2.40 | £6 |
 | Britannia (small) 50p (1997 to 2008) | 805,926,100 | 81 of 81 | Face value | £4.80 |
Typical values are the median of published prices for each coin, checked in September 2026. Rarity ranks run from 1, the lowest circulation mintage among 50p designs.
How to tell the Britannia 50p years apart
Britannia (NEW PENCE) 50p (1969 to 1981)
Size gives it away at once: this is the large 50p, 30 mm across and far heavier than any 50p in change today. Turn it over and read the words above Britannia. NEW PENCE marks this version; large coins dated from 1982 read FIFTY PENCE instead. The date and Arnold Machin's portrait are on the heads side. No Britannia 50p is dated 1973, the year the only 50p was the EEC hands design, and coins dated 1971, 1972, 1974 or 1975 came from proof sets.
Britannia (FIFTY PENCE, large) 50p (1982 to 1997)
It is the same large size as the first 50p, so the quickest check is the wording above Britannia: FIFTY PENCE marks this version, NEW PENCE the earlier one. Only 1982, 1983 and 1985 were struck for change. A large FIFTY PENCE coin dated 1984, or any year from 1986 to 1997, came from a proof or brilliant uncirculated set, and none is dated 1994. A 1997 date can be either size: the large one is a set coin, the small one is the common circulation coin.
Britannia (small) 50p (1997 to 2008)
This is the Britannia 50p that matches today's coins in size, with Britannia and FIFTY PENCE on the tails side and a point of the heptagon at the top of the design. Any date from 1997 to 2008 is possible. A 1997 coin has Raphael Maklouf's portrait with the Queen in a diadem; later dates have Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait with his initials IRB beneath it. If a 1997 Britannia 50p is clearly bigger than your other 50ps, it is the old large coin from a year set.
Britannia 50p questions
Which Britannia 50p is the rarest?
The Britannia (FIFTY PENCE, large) 50p (1982 to 1997) has the lowest circulation mintage of the three, with 114,819,007 struck, which ranks it 78 of 81 50p designs by rarity.
How many Britannia 50p coins are there?
There are three Britannia 50p designs: the Britannia (NEW PENCE) 50p (1969 to 1981), the Britannia (FIFTY PENCE, large) 50p (1982 to 1997) and the Britannia (small) 50p (1997 to 2008).
Which Britannia 50p is worth the most?
In circulated condition the Britannia (FIFTY PENCE, large) 50p (1982 to 1997) is worth the most, typically £2.40. In uncirculated condition the highest is the Britannia (FIFTY PENCE, large) 50p (1982 to 1997), typically £6. Values were checked in September 2026.