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Three different 50p designs were issued in 2013. Two commemorative coins: one to show the rejected runner up design that was nearly used for the original 50p and a commemorative coin to mark the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten. The coin with the standard (new) design featuring the bottom section of the Royal Coat of Arms was also issued.
Obverse Type 5 (bust design by Ian Rank-Broadley):
Reverse Type 4 (design by Matthew Dent):
Mintage for Circulation: 10,301,000.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
The obverse portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley was used on all UK coinage from 1998 to 2014 and for some 2015 coins. It was the fourth portrait of the Queen used on coinage. For the new design 50p coins the design on the reverse is best suited for a coin with its ‘point’ facing downwards, so to accommodate this the obverse has also been rotated.
The reverse design, by Matthew Dent shows the lower part of the shield of the Royal Coat of Arms.
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 46: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type 4 (bust design by Ian Rank-Broadley):
Reverse Type (design by Christopher Ironside):
Mintage for Circulation: 7,000,000.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
The obverse portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley was used on all UK coinage from 1998 to 2014 and also on some coins dated 2015. It was the fourth portrait of the Queen used on coinage.
The reverse shows the rejected Christopher Ironside design for the original 50p. Instead, the Britannia design was chosen (also by Christopher Ironside). Ironside was a prolific coin designer, designing coins for many nations, from the 1960s to 1980s. He passed away in 1992:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Ironside
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 47: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type 4c (bust design by Ian Rank-Broadley):
Reverse Type (design by Tom Phillips):
Mintage for Circulation: 5,300,000.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
There is an urban legend that these coins are very rare. They aren’t! The confusion comes from the fact that the cased silver proof version is a little scarcer (in terms of numbers made) than other silver proof 50p coins. The bog standard circulation issue is very common. Any silly asking prices are just wishful thinking and anything that appears to be an actual sale for a large sum is likely to be a fake sale or criminal money laundering.
The story behind the design:
The obverse portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley was used on all UK coinage from 1998 to 2014 and also on some coins dated 2015. It was the fourth portrait of the Queen used on coinage. For this coin both the date and denomination ‘FIFTY PENCE’ are included on the obverse for the first time, as these are omitted from the reverse.
The reverse shows the name ‘BENJAMIN BRITTEN’ on musical notation paper, with the Lord Tennyson quotes (that Britten set to music) ‘BLOW BUGLE BLOW’ and ‘SET THE WILD ECHOES FLYING’. Benjamin Britten was a leading classical composer of the 20th century:
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