The 50th Anniversary of London Pride was celebrated on 1st July 2022 and to mark the event, the Royal Mint issued a brand new 50p coin.
The first UK Pride event took place 50 years ago in London on 1st July 1972 and was attended by over 2,000 people. The protest march was in solidarity with all those involved in the Stonewall Riots in New York.
It is the first time Britain's LGBTQ+ community has been celebrated on an official UK coin and as part of the coin's launch, the Royal Mint confirmed it made a £40,000 donation to Pride in London.
Pride UK is the largest event in the LGBTQ+ calendar and is synonymous with visibility, unity and equality.
Having only been recently released in 2022, it is quite possible for you to find this fifty-pence coin in your change. Have you found one? This article provides all the necessary information about the circulating coin issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Pride.
History of the Pride 50p coin
Pride UK, with its core values of visibility, unity, and equality, is a lasting cultural movement in the United Kingdom. Over time, this event has transformed from a political protest into a lively celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, solidifying Pride UK as a prominent event on the UK's annual calendar.
In its 50th year at the time of the coins release, Pride UK is more popular than ever, joining LGBTQ+ communities across the country in a vibrant celebration of positivity, unity, and inclusiveness. To mark this important achievement, Pride UK commemorated the occasion with a special edition UK 50p coin designed by renowned artist, writer, and LGBTQ+ advocate Dominique Holmes.
Dominique's artwork captures the essence of Pride's history in the UK, making this coin a celebration of the UK's LGBTQ+ community for the first time. Made with support from Pride in London, this release is not only a celebration of Pride UK but also a numismatic tribute to the indomitable spirit of the UK’s LGBTQ+ community.
Design of the Coin
This 50p coin was created in collaboration with Pride in London and designed by Dominique Holmes, an LGBT plus artist, writer, and activist.
If you look carefully you can see the reverse design of the coin features five rainbows, each representing the key values of Pride in London – with inscriptions including Pride, Protest, Visibility, Unity, and Equality.
The design also features Chevron stripes at the bottom, taking inspiration from the Progressive Pride flag.
Gilbert Baker designed the Rainbow Flag, the worldwide symbol of LGBTQ+ communities in 1978. Originally eight colors, it was later reduced to six – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet – by removing hot pink and blending turquoise and indigo into royal blue.
Baker, a revered drag queen and openly gay man, was appointed by Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, to create a gay pride symbol.
There’s no denying that the rainbow flag is one of the most recognisable symbols of the LGBTQ+ community. But what are the meanings of each of its colours?
The original flag featured eight colours, each with its own meaning. Red symbolises life, orange represents healing, pink portrays sexuality, yellow stands for sunlight, green depicts nature, turquoise represents creativity, indigo displays harmony, and violet illustrates spirit.
The number 50 is inscribed at the top of the reverse to represent the 50th Anniversary of London Pride.
It is the very last coin to enter circulation featuring Queen Elizabeth II on the Obverse, the 'HEADS' side of the coin before the switch to King Charles III.
The obverse features a right-facing portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the inscription ‘50 PENCE · 2022 · ELIZABETH · II · D · G · REG · F · D.
This is the fifth portrait of Her Majesty the Queen by artist Jody Clark. Her initials JC are present below the Queen's neckline.
Mintage of the 2022 Pride 50p coin
Originally intended to be a coin that did not enter general circulation, The Royal Mint made an announcement on 9th June 2022 to say that they had changed their original plan and that 5 million coins would enter general circulation later in the year. Five million of these coins were released into circulation on 25 October 2022.
There were different versions of this coin other than those that entered general circulation. Including brilliant uncirculated versions, brilliant uncirculated versions with colour, and the 50 Years of Pride 2022 Minty which had a limited edition of just 250.
The Silver proof coloured coin had a mintage of 4,000 which sold out on the day of release, as did the 50 Years of Pride 2022 Limited Edition Print which had a limited edition of just 200.
The more expensive versions, the Silver proof piedfort version (1,500 mintage) and the gold proof version (200 minted) both sold out on the day of release and emphasised the huge popularity of the coin.
Is the 2022 Pride 50p rare?
With 5 million put into circulation and only released in 2022, the coin can still be found in your change. Therefore, it is not considered a rare commemorative coin and you are likely to find one in your change. But, as collectors are keeping them to add to their collections and others have kept them as a memento to mark this historical event, the coins will become more difficult to find in years to come.
Also released in the same year, the 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p had a mintage of 5,000,070 and the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p had a mintage of 9.6 million.
How much is it worth?
Examples of the Pride 50p have been sold on auction sites such as ebay for around £3 - £3.50, but we recommend you keep an eye on your change to find an example for face value.
Articles have been published in national newspapers of this coin selling for hundreds of pounds but these are 'false' listings looking to trick collectors.
Where can I buy the Pride 50p coin?
If you can not wait to find one in your change, you can purchase this coin here at Copes Coins.
Online market places such as eBay and Amazon have coins available, but as always, check out the seller, the listing description, photos and do as much research before buying.
The Royal Mint has an online shop where you can buy various coins in circulated, uncirculated, silver proof and gold proof condition, but as we mentioned, they no longer stock the Silver or Gold proof versions of the 2022 Pride 50p coin.
Are there any known errors for the Pride 50p coin?
The Royal Mint has not confirmed any official errors for this coin.
Bit of trivia...
June is the month in which the Stonewall Riots of 1969 are commemorated. The Stonewall Inn, a well-known gay club in New York’s Greenwich Village, was raided by the New York City police on June 28, 1969.
This provoked a wave of protests and violent conflicts in local bars and neighbourhoods, serving as a catalyst for the global gay rights movement.
Bisexual rights activist Brenda Howard is known as the “Mother of Pride”. This is because she organised the first Liberation March on Christopher Street one year after the attack.
Brenda devised the idea of a week-long Pride Festival complete with parades, rallies, and dance parties. These celebrations have been carried out ever since.
2 comments
Joanne Cooke
It found in some change. It still looks. Just wondering if it’s worth.
Paula
Yay I have one of these 50 pence coins I will put it with all the other coins I think are worth keeping.