- Five million 50ps marking the 50th anniversary of Pride UK will enter circulation via 2,000 UK Post Offices
- The Pride 50p is set to become the last design that will enter general circulation in the UK featuring the portrait of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse side of the coin
- The commemorative design was created by LGBTQ+ activist Dominique Holmes for the 2022 anniversary, featuring the iconic rainbow and Pride in London values of Unity, Visibility, Equality and Protest on the reverse
The Royal Mint has confirmed that a 50p coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride UK will be released into circulation via Post Offices across the United Kingdom from Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
The Pride 50p will become the last design to enter general circulation featuring the portrait of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse of the coin. The first coins bearing the portrait of His Majesty King Charles III will enter circulation later this year.
In total, five million coins celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride UK will enter circulation, and were made by The Royal Mint prior to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. To ensure the transition to the coinage of King Charles III is conducted with minimal waste and environmental impact, The Royal Mint has continued to issue coins struck with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Designed by LGBTQ+ artist and activist Dominique Holmes, the 50 Years of Pride UK 50p design was unveiled to mark the milestone anniversary earlier this year and features a rainbow design with Pride in London’s values of Protest, Visibility, Unity, and Equality on the ‘tails’ side of the coin.
The first LGBTQ+ celebration coin will be accessible to people across the UK via 2,000 branches. Among the first to get their hands on the coins are postmasters Daniel Cooper and Nathan Jones from New Longton Post Office, near Preston. The couple are delighted to help issue the coins from the New Longton branch, after hundreds in the community rallied against criticism for flying the rainbow flag at the Post Office during LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Postmaster, at New Longton Post Office, Daniel Cooper said:
“50 Years of Pride UK and the combined support of the LGBTQ+ community and allies shows how far we have come as a nation, but there is always more we can do to break down barriers. The Royal Mint’s 50p coin is a tangible display of Pride’s values and it is a privilege to be among the first postmasters to release this coin into circulation ensuring such an important piece of British history lives on in the pockets, purses, and cash tills of our communities. It is a special pleasure, for Nathan and I, to be issuing these in our own town where we know first-hand what the celebration of Pride UK means for the community.”
The Royal Mint’s Managing Director, Currency, Andrew Mills said:
“Coins tell the story of our nation, and we are thrilled to be working with the Post Office to ensure five million special 50ps celebrating the 50th anniversary of UK Pride reach the hands of the people across the UK in the coming weeks. Made for the 2022 anniversary, the coins feature the effigy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth and are expected to be in high demand.
“This is the first time the LGBTQ+ community has been celebrated on UK coin and reflects The Royal Mint’s commitment to celebrating a diverse and inclusive Britain. We hope the Pride values minted on the coins honor the communities they represent, as well as proving popular with LGBTQ+ allies and coin collectors up and down the country for generations.”
As part of The Royal Mint’s commitment to reflecting a diverse and modern Britain across its products – A ‘Diversity Built Britain’ 50p coin entered circulation in 2020 and The Royal Mint recently celebrated a Diwali-inspired series of gold bars at the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Oldham.
The spirit of celebration around the circulating Pride coin is shared at The Royal Mint’s headquarters in South Wales, where the employee-led LGBTQ+ society ‘Enfys’ and allies champion diversity and inclusion as a way of life. During Pride month, Enfys marched in the 50th Anniversary Pride in London parade and initiated the installation of a permanent rainbow zebra crossing.
Speaking of the release, Asad Shaykh, Director of Marketing and Communications at Pride in London said, “It humbles me greatly that the words that I coined for the brand, PROTEST, VISIBILITY, UNITY & EQUALITY – feature on an actual coin, opposite the Queen, and that five million of these coins will circulate for years to come.”
Further information about the 50 Years of Pride UK collection is available at The Royal Mint, which includes Brilliant Uncirculated coins from £11 (about $13 USD at the time of original publication), and a special color-printed edition for £20 (about $20).
The collectable coins on the website are struck to a higher quality finish than circulating coin and delivered scratch-free in bespoke packaging to preserve their beauty. Made at the home of precious metals, the coins are also available in the highest “Proof” quality silver and gold, minted with the finest craftsmanship and innovation.
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About The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint has an unbroken history of minting British coinage dating back over 1,100 years. Based in the Tower of London for over 500 years, by 1812 the Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on London’s Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in South Wales, UK, to accommodate the minting of UK decimal coinage. Today, the Mint is the world’s largest export mint, supplying coins to the UK and overseas countries.
