Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p (2023)
The Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p is the 2023 coin that puts the saga's two chief villains side by side. It was the second of the four Star Wars character pairs The Royal Mint issued, and it was made for collectors, not for change. It is one of the eight Star Wars 50p coins and one of the 172 50p designs struck since 1969.
Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p value
- Uncirculated
- typical £12, range £8 to £15
Worked out from 5 published prices (3 dealer prices, 1 price guide and 1 sold-price report), each condition from its own prices, checked in September 2026.
Every Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p was sold as a collector coin, so condition and packaging drive the price rather than wear from use. Coins kept sealed in the Royal Mint pack fetch more than loose coins, and the lenticular panel should be clean and unscratched. The limited colour edition is valued separately from the standard coin, and the silver and gold proof versions sit in a different market altogether.
Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p mintage and rarity
The Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p was not issued for circulation, so it has no rarity rank.
How to spot a Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p
Look for the villains: Darth Vader beside Emperor Palpatine. Tilt the coin and the lenticular panel changes between the Galactic Empire insignia and the Death Star. That Death Star image helps separate it from the 2024 Death Star II coin, where the battle station itself is the main picture and no characters appear. Like the rest of the duos set it was never struck for circulation, so any example comes from a collector pack rather than a till.
Known varieties of the Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p, all listed among the UK error coins and varieties:
- Colour edition: A colour-printed brilliant uncirculated edition, with an issue limit of 20,010.
Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p design
The second pair in The Royal Mint's Return of the Jedi collection moved from the droids to the villains. The 2023 series marked 40 years since the 1983 film, and after R2-D2 and C-3PO came Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, the saga's best-known villains. Lucasfilm Ltd. is credited with the design, which shows the two characters together with STAR WARS below them and the small © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd. line. The lenticular window above their heads is given over to the Empire: turned one way it shows the Galactic Empire insignia, and turned the other it shows the Death Star. Martin Jennings designed the portrait of the King on the heads side. It was sold as a standard brilliant uncirculated 50p or in a limited colour edition, and silver and gold proof editions were struck too.
It was one of the three coins in the Star Wars set issued in 2023.
Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p specifications
- Denomination
- 50p
- Year
- 2023
- Type
- Commemorative
- Issue
- Not issued for circulation
- Series
- Star Wars
- Occasion
- 40th anniversary of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Designer
- Lucasfilm Ltd.
- Composition
- Cupro-nickel
- Weight
- 8 g
- Diameter
- 27.3 mm
- Shape
- Seven-sided
- Edge
- Plain
- Obverse
- Charles III, first portrait by Martin Jennings
Star Wars Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p questions
Was the Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p released into circulation?
No. It was a collector-only issue, in brilliant uncirculated, colour and proof editions, and none went into change.
What does the Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p show when tilted?
The lenticular panel switches between the Galactic Empire insignia and the Death Star.
Who designed the Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine 50p?
The Royal Mint credits Lucasfilm Ltd. with the reverse. The portrait of King Charles III on the obverse is by Martin Jennings.