Introducing the Christopher Ironside 50p Coin
Christopher Ironside’s designs have been a part of British culture since his work on the new coins as part of the decimalisation process in 1968. Christopher had won a public competition and got to create the reverse designs for all the new coins, from the halfpenny to the 50p. His 50p design of Britannia was introduced in 1969, the world’s first seven-sided coin. For 40 years, until the Royal Mint switched to Matthew Dent’s designs in 2008, his coins were in circulation, in the pockets and purses of the British people.
Also an accomplished painter, Christopher strengthen his talents while at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. Since his time there, beyond the Royal Mint, he’s also designed coins for twelve other countries including Bahrain, Tanzania, and Singapore. For his incredible work, he was awarded an OBE in 1971. He passed away on 13 July 1992.
In a Royal Mint interview with his wife, Jean Ironside, she mentions a quote she found from her late husband regarding his legacy. ’The work of a great many artists who are geniuses is never recognised and probably eventually disappears. But if one is a coin designer, one’s work lasts possibly long after death, everyone becomes familiar with it and it forms a small part of the history of the country for which it was designed, and one becomes famous. Not because one is a genius, or a saint or a monster, but simply because one is a coin designer”
Christopher Ironside 2013 50p Coin
The Christopher Ironside 50p coin features his runner-up design for the first 50p to be released in the country during the change to decimalisation. It features the UK’s Royal Arms with the designation of ‘Fifty Pence’ above. This design would be the first time the public would see it since he initially crafted it in 1969.
(Caption: Image of Christopher Ironside)
How Much is the Christopher Ironside 50p Coin Worth?
The Royal Mint issued 7 million of the Christopher Ironside 2013 50p coins. It’s considered a very common coin. A circulation coin was sold for £1.25 in early April 2019 on eBay, the highest for a single coin found on the site so far. (Shipping was another £1.39.)
Other Versions of the Christopher Ironside 50p
Along with the 7 million circulation coins, the Royal Mint also released other versions of the coin. You can get a Brilliant Uncirculated coin (mintage of 4,400), Silver Proof (mintage of 4,500), Silver Proof Piedfort (mintage of 1,500), and Gold Proof (mintage of 340).
Specifications | |
Issued | 2013 |
Diameter | 27.30mm |
Weight | 8.00g |
Thickness | 1.78mm |
Composition | Cupro-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
Obverse Designer | Portrait of Her Majesty the Queen 2013 – Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS |
Reverse Designer | Christopher Ironside |
Edge | Plain |
Mintage | 7,000,000* |
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