The 2020 Gold Proof 50p Coin – Dinosauria: MegalosaurusThis was the first coin in a Royal Mint series called the Dinosauria Collection. SCBC: H73
These coins are available (subject to stock) from the Royal Mint Shop
(product code UK20MGGP).Back in 1824, William Buckland (1784-1856), who was a clergyman, geologist and palaeontologist, found fossil bones of a giant reptile which he named Megalosaurus (meaning 'great lizard'). He was the first person to document fossil dinosaurs.
A few years later, English biologist and palaeontologist Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892), studied the documents made about the Megalosaurus, Iguanodon and Hylaeosaurus and realised there were commonalities and they must be a distinct group of reptiles. He called the new group 'Dinosauria' from which we get the term dinosaurs.
Today we know the dinosaur Megalosaurus is a theropod, a large bipedal predator that lived in the Middle Jurassic period 170 to 155 million years ago.
The Reverse of the coin, by Paleo-artist Robert Nicholls, shows the Megalosaurus and the annotation 'BUCKLAND 1824'.
The Obverse shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.This coin is part of the Dinosauria collection. The coin is available as BU, Coloured BU, Silver Proof, Coloured Silver Proof and Gold Proof.
Image credit: The Royal Mint
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Mintage: 360 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Remember 2020 ?
The Monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minster is Boris Johnson. US President is Donald Trump. The UK finally leave the EU on 31 January at 11pm. The Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic devastates the World and the UK is in lock-down. It's a terrible year for most people with illnesses, deaths, job losses, school closures and a general loss of normality of life. But many Shares still perform well and gold, silver and bitcoin see massive gains.
Elizabeth II (1952-2022)
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning British Monarch ever, reigning for over 70 years. Born on 21 April 1926 to King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, she became Queen in 1952 and her Coronation was on 2 June 1953. She died on 8 September 2022. Some coins were released dated 2023.Queen Elizabeth II issued many coins and was monarch during decimalisation. She married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 and had four children. Her eldest son succeeded the throne as King Charles III. House of Windsor.
Category: Gold Fifty Pence
Gold Fifty Pence Pieces were first issued by the Royal Mint in 1992 and have grown in popularity over the years. Most commemorative 50p pieces are now released as silver proof and gold proof to complement the circulation coins. The Gold 50p is 22 carat and weighs 15.5g. The diameter is 27.3mm. The coins usually have a very limited edition mintage.
The 7-Sided 50p Coin
The circulation British Fifty Pence (50p) currency coin was introduced in October 1969 as part of the decimalisation of the British currency. It replaced the 10 shilling note, both being equivalent to half of one pound (£0.50). It is colloquially called the '50 pee'. The coin has 7 sides (heptagonal) but has rounded corners on each apex so that the coin will roll and work in vending machines.
Originally, the coin has a diameter of 30mm and weighed 13.5g, but in 1997 this was replaced with a smaller version of diameter 27.3mm and weight of 8g. The thickness was kept at 1.78mm. The coin is made of Cupro-Nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel). The larger version was demonitised (i.e. ceased to be legal tender) in 1998. All coins have an obverse featuring the portrait Queen Elizabeth II. There are three versions:
- 1969-1984 - Designer: Arnold Machin
- 1985-1997 - Designer: Raphael Maklouf
- 1998-2015 - Designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS
- 2015 to date - Designer: Jody Clark
Which Mint: The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.
Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history. The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
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