It’s the coin we all dream of stumbling on in our loose change.
Now a rare Kew Gardens 50p could make £80 – 160 times its face value – at auction at Hansons Auctioneers’ coin sale on May 21.
Issued in 2009 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, only 210,000 were made for circulation.
Hansons Auctioneers owner Charles Hanson said: “Even though just over 200,000 entered circulation, many were spent normally and are still mixed into everyday change somewhere in the UK. Most have been pulled out by collectors over the years, but not all of them.”
The reverse design shows the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew Gardens with a climbing vine and “Kew Gardens” around the edge, with the dates 1759 – 2009.
Charles continued: “The Kew Gardens 50p can turn up in change, charity tins, cash tills, or coin jars with many people not realising what it is at first – making it all the more exciting.
“There was a 2019 reissue by the Royal Mint for collectors, but those weren’t released into normal circulation, so the original 2009 circulating version is still the one people hope to stumble across.”
The reverse (tails side) of the 50p was designed by Portsmouth-born artist and sculptor Christopher Le Brun, who went on to be the president of the Royal Academy of Arts from 2011 to 2019.
The design wraps a vine around Kew’s Chinese pagoda to symbolise botanical growth and Kew’s living collections.
The front of the coin shows Queen Elizabeth II as designed by Ian Rank-Broadley with hisinitials “IRB” appearing beneath the Queen’s portrait.
Rank-Broadley was a sculptor and medallist who created the fourth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II used on UK coins from 1998–2015.
Collectors often refer to this as the “older portrait” or “mature portrait” of the late Queen.
Even rarer are the 200,000 Atlantic Salmon 50ps issue by the Royal Mint to commemorate the ascension of King Charles III.
Auction Details
Auction: The Hansons Historica, Coins, Banknotes & Tokens Auction
Auction date: 21st May 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons’ Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
