Name: The Tailor of Gloucester 50p
Brand: The Royal Mint
Price: 1.25 GBP
Availability: InStock

Detailed Information

🧵 The Tailor of Gloucester 2018 UK 50p – Circulating Coin

Circulating 50p from the 2018 Beatrix Potter series, featuring the Tailor of Gloucester mouse sitting on a cotton reel and reading a newspaper. One of the more collected modern character 50ps, but with an average mintage that keeps it relatively easy to find in change.

Coin Summary & Key Facts

The Tailor of Gloucester 50p was issued in 2018 as part of the third wave of Beatrix Potter 50p coins. With a circulation mintage of 3,900,000, it is classed as a common commemorative 50p by mintage, although demand from collectors means it often trades for more than face value in nicer condition.

📊 Key Figures – Circulating Coin

Core specifications and value guidance for the standard circulation Tailor of Gloucester 50p.

Aspect	Figure	Notes
Denomination	50 pence	Seven-sided UK commemorative 50p coin issued for general circulation.
Year of issue	2018	Part of the 2018 Beatrix Potter set alongside Peter Rabbit (2018), Flopsy Bunny and Mrs Tittlemouse.
Alloy	Cupro-nickel	Standard modern 50p composition (copper–nickel), chosen for durability in circulation.
Weight & diameter	Weight: 8.00 g Diameter: 27.30 mm	Usual specifications for UK heptagonal 50p coins.
Edge	Plain	No inscription; plain-edged as with all standard 50p coins.
Circulation mintage	3,900,000	Official circulation mintage; broadly “average” for a commemorative 50p.
BU mintage (for reference)	≈136,000 BU coins	Recorded Brilliant Uncirculated total across official packs and other BU products (around 136k).
Designers	Reverse: Emma Noble Obverse: Jody Clark	Reverse features the Tailor mouse on a cotton reel; obverse is the fifth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Series	Beatrix Potter 50p collection	One of the Beatrix Potter character 50ps first launched in 2016; this coin is from the 2018 wave.
Typical value (circulated)	≈ £1 – £2	Recent price guides and sold listings suggest most circulated examples sell for around £1 and up to roughly £2 in nicer grades, excluding postage.

💡 Collector Notes – Tailor of Gloucester 50p

The Tailor of Gloucester 50p is a classic example of a coin that’s “common by mintage, popular by theme” – not scarce in raw numbers, but heavily hoarded by people building Beatrix Potter and character-coin sets.

Commemorative theme: Celebrates Beatrix Potter’s tale “The Tailor of Gloucester”, first published commercially in 1903 and often described as her favourite of her own stories. The book tells the story of a tailor saved by helpful mice who finish his work overnight.
Reverse design: Emma Noble’s design shows a bespectacled mouse sitting cross-legged on a reel of thread, reading a newspaper, with the legend “THE TAILOR OF GLOUCESTER” around the rim. The artwork is based on Beatrix Potter’s original illustration from the book cover.
Rarity & scarcity: A mintage of 3.9 million is fairly typical for a commemorative 50p, so by numbers alone this is a common coin. However, strong collector interest in the Beatrix Potter series means a large proportion have been taken out of circulation, which is why it can feel harder to find than the mintage suggests.
Circulated vs BU vs proofs:
- Circulated: Found in change; typical value around £1–£2 depending on condition.
- Brilliant Uncirculated: Sold in Royal Mint packaging and other BU products, with total BU numbers in the mid-hundreds of thousands; these command a higher premium.
- Silver proof: Colour-printed sterling silver proof coins were also released with limited mintages, aimed at higher-end collectors.
What to look for in circulation: If you’re picking a Tailor of Gloucester 50p for an album:
- check that the mouse’s face, spectacles and newspaper text are still clear,
- avoid coins with deep scratches through the central design,
- look for strong, readable lettering around the rim without heavy flattening.
Higher-grade circulation pieces will sit at the top of the value range.
Collecting angle: This coin fits naturally into Beatrix Potter sets, children’s literature themes, and “modern character 50ps”. It’s a good starting point for new collectors because it’s recognisable, story-rich and still relatively affordable.

Released in 2018, The Tailor of Gloucester™ 50p is part of the third series of Beatrix Potter commemorative coins issued by The Royal Mint. It features one of the helpful mice from Potter's 1903 Christmas tale sitting on a cotton reel with tiny spectacles and a newspaper.

Coin Specifications

Mintage: 3,900,000 for general circulation.
Designers: The reverse was designed by Emma Noble, based on original Beatrix Potter illustrations; the obverse features the fifth coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.
Composition: Cupro-nickel for circulation; also available in 925 Sterling Silver Proof (limited to 30,000).
Physical Details: 27.30 mm diameter, 8.00 g weight, and a 7-sided equilateral curve heptagon shape.

Current Value and Market Price (2025)

Circulated Condition: Typically worth its face value of 50p or slightly more (around £1.25) depending on wear.
Brilliant Uncirculated (BU): Official Royal Mint packs often retail between £10 and £13 ($10–$16 USD).
Silver Proof: Highly collectible colorized versions can sell for £45–£100+ ($60–$130 USD) on secondary markets.

Collector Scarcity

While more common than the rare 2018 Peter Rabbit or Flopsy Bunny (each with 1.4 million mintage), the Tailor of Gloucester is still considered a "keeper" if found in change due to its popularity among collectors.

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