2021 Fifty Pence

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No less than 14x 50p coins were made in 2021 and absolutely none of them can be found in circulation – they all had to be purchased. There was the standard shield reverse, a coin for John Logie Baird, two different variations of a decimalisation commemorative coin, three Mary Anning dinosaurs, another Olympics coin (due to the 2020 Olympics postponement), three Winnie-The-Pooh related coins, Charles Babbage, the discovery of Insulin and a Snowman thrown in for good measure .

Obverse Type 6 (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2021):

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Reverse Type 4 (design by Matthew Dent):

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Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin was sold in annual sets only and could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The obverse portrait of the Queen by Mr Jody Clark was introduced in March 2015 and was used on all Queen Elizabeth II circulating coinage up to her death in 2022. It is the fifth portrait of the Queen used on coinage.

The reverse design, by Matthew Dent shows the bottom part of the shield of the Royal Coat of Arms.

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 93: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Osborne Ross):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Part of the Innovators in Science series (the third coin). Marking 75 years since the death of John Logie Baird. Logie Baird was a Scottish inventor and early television pioneer. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/baird_logie.shtml

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 94 A & B: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type 1 (bust design by Arnold Machin):

Obverse Type 2 (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Dominique Evans):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity (both types): 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

To commemorate 50 years since decimalisation, which was a process lasting a few years (that was even to some degree started 100 years prior to that) that culminated in 1971. The reverse of the coin features a collage of elements of most of the last pre-decimal coin denominations (it’s missing the half crown and the Scottish type shilling – and technically the farthing was demonetised in 1960, long before decimalisation). Strangely, the coin exists with two different obverses, the first, found only in annual sets, is based on the original Machin portrait of the Queen, which was used on the first decimal coins. The other obverse features the current Jody Clark obverse and is found on coins available to purchase in single BU packs. Decimalisation was a big thing at the time, there was a big drive to ensure the new money was understood and accepted by the public. In general it was, and nowadays it’s hard to imagine that we used to count in anything other than 10s and 100s! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 95: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Robert Nicholls):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Temnodontosaurus. The first of 3 coins in the Mary Anning series. Mary Anning was a palaeontologist who lived from 1799 to 1847 https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mary-anning-unsung-hero.html

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 96: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Robert Nicholls):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Plesiosaurus. The second of 3 coins in the Mary Anning series. Mary Anning was a palaeontologist who lived from 1799 to 1847 https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mary-anning-unsung-hero.html

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 96: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Robert Nicholls):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Dimorphodon. The third of 3 coins in the Mary Anning series. Mary Anning was a palaeontologist who lived from 1799 to 1847 https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mary-anning-unsung-hero.html

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 81: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by David Knapton):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

To support Team GB in the 2020 Olympic games. A previous coin, dated 2020 was sold in the 2020 annual sets (hence this coin, although dated 2021, has the same type number). The 2020 Olympics was postponed to 2021 due to Covid-19, so the coin was struck again a year later and of course also dated 2021 instead.

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 98: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Disney):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The fourth of nine Winnie-the-Pooh themed coins (the first three of which were released in 2020). This one shows Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends. Originally written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Winnie-the-Pooh-childrens-stories-by-Milne

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 99: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Nigel Tudman and Jas Bhamra):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Part of the Innovators in Science series (the fourth coin), this coin designed by Nigel Tudman and Jas Bhamra commemorates the 150th anniversary of the death of computer pioneer Charles Babbage. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Babbage

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 100: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Disney):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The fifth of nine Winnie-the-Pooh themed coins (the first three of which were released in 2020). This one shows Owl. Originally written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Winnie-the-Pooh-childrens-stories-by-Milne

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 101: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Iris De La Torre):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Part of the Innovators in Science series (the fifth coin), this coin designed by Iris De La Torre commemorates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Insulin https://www.diabetes.org.uk/research/research-impact/insulin

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 103: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Robin Shaw):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

Another Snowman themed coin, essentially to cash-in on Christmas! Coin type 69 was the original Snowman coin, which commemorated the 40th Anniversary of the book by Raymond Briggs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Briggs

 

Commemorative 50p coin, Type 104: (info on coin type numbers here)

Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):

Reverse Type (design by Disney):

Mintage for Circulation: None, this coin could only be purchased.

Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)

The story behind the design:

The sixth of nine Winnie-the-Pooh themed coins (the first three of which were released in 2020). This one shows Tigger. Originally written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Winnie-the-Pooh-childrens-stories-by-Milne

 

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