Beatrix Potter 50p coins are a collection of beautifully designed fifty pence coins from The Royal Mint in the UK.
First released in 2016, these coins have been a massive hit with the UK public and around the world resulting in additional special edition coins being released each year by The Royal Mint to satisfy the needs of the more serious coin collector.
You can buy coins in many versions from coins that have been found in general UK coin circulation up to gold proof coins.
Beatrix Potter 50p coins in circulation
We are often asked at ukcoins.co.uk, which are the rarest Beatrix Potter coins in circulation.
The Royal Mint first issued this fifty pence coin series in twenty sixteen to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter.
- 2016 sixteen coins included the 150th-anniversary coin, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Squirrel Nutkin, and Mrs. Tiggy Winkle.
- 2017 coins included 2017 Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten, Benjamin Bunny, and Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
- 2018 coins included 2018 Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tittlemouse, The Tailor of Gloucester, and Flopsy Bunny.
- 2019 Peter Rabbit and 2020 Peter Rabbit coins were restricted to collectible only coins and never officially circulated. These are known as NIFC coins which means they are not intended for circulation.
Beatrix Potter 50p Mintage Figures
This chart shows (in millions) the number of Beatrix Potter coins put into general circulation (Source: Royal Mint UK).
So the scarcest Beatrix Potter coin in general circulation is the 2018 Peter Rabbit along with Flopsy Bunney at 1.4 million coins minted.
Next is Mrs. Tittlemouse with 1.7 million coins followed by our personal favourite, Jemima Puddle-Duck at 2.1 million coins.
Each of these sells to British coin collectors for more than their fifty pence face value.
Beatrix Potter Coin Collections
2016 coins include 150th-anniversary coin, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Squirrel Nutkin, and Mrs. Tiggy Winkle.
2017 coins include Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten, Benjamin Bunny, and Mr. Jeremy Fisher.
2018 coins include Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tittlemouse, The Tailor of Gloucester, and Flopsy Bunny.
NIFC Coins
2019 and 2020 Peter Rabbit coins were not put into official circulation.
Beatrix Potter 50p Silver Proof Coin Mintage Figures
| Name | Year | LEP | MCM | eBay | The Royal Mint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150th Anniversary | 2016 | 7,750 | 7,750 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Peter Rabbit | 2016 | 15,000 | 16,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Jemima Puddle-Duck | 2016 | 15,000 | 16,000 | eBay | Not Found |
| Squirrel Nutkin | 2016 | 15,000 | 16,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Mrs Tiggy-Winkle | 2016 | 15,000 | 16,000 | eBay | Not Found |
| Peter Rabbit | 2017 | 30,000 | 40,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Benjamin Bunny | 2017 | 30,000 | 40,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Mr Jeremy Fisher | 2017 | 30,000 | 40,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Tom Kitten | 2017 | 30,000 | 40,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Peter Rabbit | 2018 | 30,000 | 45,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Flopsy Bunny | 2018 | 30,000 | 45,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| The Tailor of Gloucester | 2018 | 30,000 | 40,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Mrs. Tittlemouse | 2018 | 30,000 | 40,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Peter Rabbit | 2019 | 30,000 | 35,000 | eBay | The Royal Mint |
| Peter Rabbit | 2020 | 14,500 | 15,000 | eBay | Sold Out |
- Mintage figures are taken from The Royal Mint website.
- Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means we may get paid a commission if you make a qualifying purchase through our website. Using our link is at no additional cost to you.
LEP = Limited Edition Presentation
MCM = Maximum Coin Mintage
For example the 2016 Beatrix Potter coins had a maximum coin mintage of 16,000, with 15,000 being sold as the silver proof limited edition presentation. The other 1,000 coins were sold as in a black case for the Royal Mail via the Post Office.
The Post Office Silver Proof coins show the Post Office logo on the packaging and the COA will say LEP of 1,000 coins.
Beatrix Potter 50p Gold Proof Coin Mintage Figures
| Name | Year | LEP | MCM | The Royal Mint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150th Anniversary | 2016 | 750 | 750 | |
| Peter Rabbit 1/4 Oz | 2016 | 500 | 500 | |
| Peter Rabbit Coin & Book Gift Set | 2017 | 450 | 450 | The Royal Mint |
| Peter Rabbit Coin & Book Gift Set | 2018 | 450 | 500 | The Royal Mint |
| Peter Rabbit | 2019 | 500 | 500 | The Royal Mint |
| Peter Rabbit | 2020 | 500 | 500 | The Royal Mint |
- Mintage figures are taken from The Royal Mint website.
- Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means we may get paid a commission if you make a qualifying purchase through our website. Using our link is at no additional cost to you.
Know the facts from fiction
As part of the Beatrix Potter 50p Coins, The Royal Mint issued 4 versions of the Peter Rabbit 2016 50p
- Circulated (these you may find in your pocket change in varying condition) – collectible but not worth much more than face value. Sell for slightly more on eBay.
- Brilliant Uncirculated (purchased directly from The Royal Mint website and usually in protective packaging as a collectible coin)
- Silver Proof (coloured silver coin in a presentation pack and a known mintage run)
- Gold Proof (plain gold coin in a presentation pack and a known mintage run)
2017 Beatrix Potter 50p coins saw the release of Silver Proof editions for Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, and Tom Kitten.
2018 Beatrix Potter 50p coin releases included Silver Proof editions of Peter Rabbit, Flopsy Bunny, The Tailor of Gloucester and Mrs. Tittlemouse.
If you are buying a Silver Proof coin on eBay, only buy if it has a COA (Certificate of Authenticity). This is an individually numbered document issued with each Silver Proof coin from The Royal Mint.
Beatrix Potter 50p Colour Coins
Beware!
- There are non-silver coins on eBay, colourised with stickers to look like the silver proof editions
- There are non-silver coins on eBay in acetate/perspex display holders, to look like the silver proof editions
Coins with Stickers / Decals. Please note: These are NOT Silver Proof coins, the colour sticker has been applied to a regular coin.
You can find the Beatrix Potter decals for sale on eBay, without the coin.
Whilst collectible to some people, we only collect coins as issued by The Royal Mint.
Peter Rabbit 50p Silver Proof Coin 2017
Struck from Sterling Silver to a Proof finish, a limited edition of just 40,000 coins.
Peter Rabbit 2017 50p Silver Proof Coin Specifications
| Denomination | 50p |
|---|---|
| Maximum Coin Mintage | 40,000 |
| Alloy | .925 Sterling Silver |
| Weight | 8.00g |
| Diameter | 27.30mm |
| Reverse Designer | Emma Noble |
| Obverse Designer | Jody Clark |
| Quality | Proof |
Peter Rabbit 50p Silver Proof Coin 2016
Struck from Sterling Silver to a Proof finish, a limited edition of only 15,000 coins minted makes this coin very rare with less than half the mintage figure of the 2017 version.
Peter Rabbit 2016 50p Silver Proof Coin Specifications
| Denomination | 50p |
|---|---|
| Maximum Coin Mintage | 15,000 |
| Alloy | .925 Sterling Silver |
| Weight | 8.00g |
| Diameter | 27.30mm |
| Reverse Designer | Emma Noble |
| Obverse Designer | Jody Clark |
| Quality | Proof |
If you are on a coin hunt to collect all the Beatrix Potter coins from your pocket change then buy a Beatrix Potter 50p Coin Collector Album (contains no coins) for a fun way to display them.
If you have been looking for these attractive looking coins, no doubt you have seen eBay Sellers selling these coins from new bags from the Post Office. Some people may not realise some of these coins are still being sold directly from The Royal Mint.
First of all, if you wonder what BU means, it stands for Brilliant Uncirculated. A BU coin means it has never been in general circulation and consequently should be in mint condition.
Finally, make sure not to pay too much for a coin out of a bag of 20 others.
If you are a real fan of everything Beatrix Potter, why not join The Beatrix Potter Society
Beatrix Potter Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbeatrixpotter/
Peter Rabbit Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/officialpeterrabbit/
Beatrix Potter Official Twitter account: https://twitter.com/BeatrixPotter
Peter Rabbit Official Website: http://www.peterrabbit.co.uk
Frederick Warne & Co. is the owner of all rights, copyrights and trademarks in the Beatrix Potter character names and illustrations.
© Frederick Warne & Co., 2016