Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Decimal Day. Discover our new UK 50p commemorative coin range and carefully selected pre-decimal and decimal coin sets marking 50 years since The Royal Mint delivered a big change for the nation. The Royal Mint will be selling 3 Brexit 50p coins from Friday to mark Brexit day on 31 January. Gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated versions will be available for as much as £945 Just 1,500. The gold version of the coin has sold out Credit: The Royal Mint/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX Gold commemorative Brexit 50p coins priced at £945 have already sold out after being put on sale by the Royal.

• Royal Mint Brexit Coin Collectors
• 50 Pence Brexit Coin
• Brexit Coins Royal Mint

Discover more about the Brexit 50p

The arrival of the Brexit 50p, officially known as the 'Withdrawal from the European Union 2020' 50p coin, didn't go smoothly – just like the political maze of the Brexit process itself.

• 10,000 coins expected: The 50p Brexit coin was unveiled by former Chancellor or the Exchequer Philip Hammond with the intention that the coin would have a mintage of around 10,000 and be issued in March 2019.
  
• Millions of coins: In August 2019, with Brexit still being debated, Chancellor Sajid Javid said he wanted to add millions of 'Brexit' 50p coins into circulation, changing the initial plans for the commemorative coin to remain 'uncirculated'.
  
• Brexit delays: With delays to the Brexit process, the planned design, with the date of the UK's departure from the EU detailed as 31 March 2019, was updated to read 31 October 2019.
  
• Protests against the coin: Not everyone approved of the idea of the 50p coin. Liberal Democrat councillor Eleanor Rylance protested against the coin and encouraged the general public to return the coin to the bank and ask for an alternative if and when it was issued.

Millions of coins melted down

• Millions melted down: just days before the UK was supposed to leave the EU in October 2019, it was confirmed that approximately 3 million coins would be recycled since the date of 31 October would be incorrect.
  
• Eventual release of the Brexit 50p: The Brexit 50p was officially released on 31 January 2020, on the day the UK left the EU and started a one-year transition process. It was revealed that 7,000,000 copies of the coin would be entered into circulation over the course of the year, and this number soon went up to 10 million.
  
• Disapproval from some quarters: it was no surprise that the eventual release of the coin was not met with approval from all sides. Author Philip Pullman said on twitter: 'The 'Brexit' 50p coin is missing an Oxford comma, and should be boycotted by all literate people.'

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So how rare are the Brexit 50p coins?

With a reported 10 million in circulation and The Royal Mint's official mintage being 'unlimited', the coin is hardly rare. So you may wonder why you don't see many of the coins in your loose change.

According to reports, the coins are being taken out of circulation by collectors and by those who do not approve of the coin, although The Royal Mint confirmed it is normal for people to keep unusual coins when they are initially issued.

Examples of the Brexit 50p have been sold on auction sites such as ebay for around £2 - £3, but we recommend you keep an eye on your change to find an example for face value.

Whilst some newspapers reported that versions of the coin with the incorrect date may surface, no find have been reported.

A Brilliant Uncirculated version of the coin, costing £10 from The Royal Mint, proved very popular when the coin was first issues, with demand crashing the RM website. This version of the coin is still available.

The design and details of the Brexit 50p

Royal Mint Brexit Coin Collectors

The commemorative coins are engraved with the words “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations” along with the 31 January 2020 date. The versions of the coin released were as follows:

• Circulation coin
• Brilliant uncirculated (available for £10)
• Silver Proof Brexit 50p (mintage of 47,000, retailed for £62.50 and now sold out)
• Gold Proof Brexit 50p (mintage of 1,500, retailed for £1,100 and now sold out)
• A two-coin set was also made available, including the Brexit 50p and the 1973 50p coin which marked the United Kingdom’s accession into the European Economic Community. This set was limited to 5,000 copies, retailed at £30 and has now sold out.

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50 Pence Brexit Coin

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A rare Tudor coin dating back 500 years is to be auctioned by the Royal Mint, with bids opening at £950,000.

Historic coin experts at the company sourced the Type 2 Henry VII sovereign, which is one of only a few in the world not held by a museum.

The Henry VII fine gold sovereign of 20 shillings is the earliest gold sovereign a collector can own and there are only two examples in private ownership.

Struck more than 500 years ago, the coin was created to assert the authority of the first Tudor king of England through its splendour, weight and size.

Bids will open at £950,000 when the sought-after coin is put up for auction early next month.

Rebecca Morgan, divisional director of collector services at the Royal Mint, said: “We are delighted to have acquired such a rare coin, which traces its history to the first Tudor king.

“The survival rate of these gold coins is minuscule, and this particular coin is the earliest example of a gold sovereign that a collector can own.

“Our experts have checked and validated the coin, and there are just two left in private ownership – making this an incredibly exciting addition to a collection.

“The Royal Mint was originally based at the Tower of London, and this coin would have been hand struck on ‘Mint Street’ – which still stands today.

“What makes this coin even more fascinating is that we can trace its ownership back to the 1800s.

“One notable owner of the coin was the world-renowned banker JP Morgan, who owned the coin until his death in 1913, with subsequent sale in 1915.”

Henry VII, the father of Henry VIII and grandfather to Elizabeth I, started the Tudor dynasty and was determined to cement his position.

Brexit Coins Royal Mint

The coin was commissioned by him to be produced from October 28 1489, more than 500 years ago.

It depicts the crowned king seated on a wooden throne, dressed in robes and holding an orb and sceptre. The reverse shows the quartered shield of England upon a Tudor rose.

The sovereign was the largest hammered gold coin of the Tudor period, measuring approximately 1.6in (40mm) in diameter, 0.04in (1mm) thick and weighing around half an ounce (15.3g).

It was issued in gold of approximately 23-and-a-third carat fineness, or 0.995 fine.

Coin certification service Numismatic Guaranty Corporation has assessed the coin as AU50, meaning its state of preservation is almost uncirculated 50.

The chain of ownership of the coin can be traced back to the Victorian era through six named collectors.

The Royal Mint, which is famous for making new coins, expanded into the sale of rare, historic coins two years ago.

The company now helps customers track down rare examples to add to their collection, as well as authenticating coins on the secondary market using its experience in British coinage.

“We have seen many customers buying historic coins to bring purpose to their collection, either as an investment for the future or an heirloom to pass on to the next generation,” Ms Morgan said.

“Our collector services division is growing year on year and, with 1,100 years of expertise, the team here at the Royal Mint can help enrich and enhance any coin collection.

“We set the record for the sale of a British historic coin at £1 million last year – so, who knows, perhaps this might beat the record.”

The online auction will take place on March 4, with those wishing to bid required to pay a refundable £20,000 deposit.

It is the first in a series of online auctions held by the Royal Mint and there is no buyer’s premium.

Those wishing to take part in the auction should register their interest by midnight of March 1 at https://www.royalmint.com/auction/