Uncommon: fewer than 10,000,000 minted. Sells often: 67 verified sales in the last 12 months.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait Suffragette Movement (2003)
"Suffragettes 50p"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2003 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 3,124,030 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Composition | Copper-nickel |
| Weight | 8.000g |
| Diameter | 27.3mm |
| Thickness | 1.78mm |
| Shape | Equilateral curve heptagon (7-sided) |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Rev. artist | Mary Milner Dickens |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fourth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, legend around
The figure of a suffragette chained to railings and holding a banner on which appear the letters WSPU, to the right a ballot paper marked with a cross and the words GIVE WOMEN THE VOTE, to the left the value 50 PENCE, and below and to the far right the anniversary dates 1903 and 2003
Suffragette Movement 50p market value
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Daily limit reachedSuffragette Movement 50p value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | £8.99 🔒 eBay | £10.97 (2) | – | £8.99 – £12.94 | 2 | 2 | 20-08-2026 | |
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| BU | £13.15 🔒 eBay | £18.76 (2) | – | £13.15 – £24.36 | 2 | 2 | 11-10-2026 | |
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| VF | £3.00 🔒 eBay | £2.94 | ▲32.7% | £0.63 – £16.15 | 62 | 62 | 15-10-2026 | |
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| PR-65 | £14.00 🔒 eBay | £14.00 (1) | – | £14.00 – £14.00 | 1 | 1 | 06-08-2026 | |
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About the 2003 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Suffragette Movement
The 2003 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Suffragette Movement is a circulating 50 pence coin, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 8g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: The figure of a suffragette chained to railings and holding a banner on which appear the letters WSPU, to the right a ballot paper marked with a cross and the words GIVE WOMEN THE VOTE, to the left the value 50 PENCE, and below and to the far right the anniversary dates 1903 and 2003.
3,124,030 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2003 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Suffragette Movement worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2003 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Suffragette Movement run from £2.94 to £18.76 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many Suffragette 50p coins were made?
The Royal Mint's mintage figures give 3,124,030 struck for circulation, all dated 2003. That compares with 23,583,000 Britannia 50p coins of the same date. Collector versions in Brilliant Uncirculated, silver and gold were sold separately and are not part of that number.
Is the 2003 Suffragette 50p rare?
It is one of the scarcer older 50p coins by mintage. Among the eleven commemorative 50p designs dated 1998 to 2010 in the Royal Mint's figures, only the 2009 Kew Gardens coin, at 210,000, was struck in smaller numbers than the 3,124,030 of this coin.
Who designed the Suffragette 50p?
Mary Milner Dickens designed the reverse, which shows a suffragette chained to railings with a WSPU banner beside a ballot paper reading GIVE WOMEN THE VOTE. She also designed the Single Market and Public Libraries 50p coins. The Queen's portrait is by Ian Rank-Broadley.
What does WSPU stand for on the 50p?
WSPU is the Women's Social and Political Union, founded in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia. The Royal Mint describes it as the organisation that led the militant campaign for women's suffrage. The coin marks its centenary.
Is there a 2009 Suffragette 50p?
Yes, but not for circulation. The design was struck again in 2009 for the Royal Mint's 40th anniversary 50p collection, a collector set of 16 reverse designs. The only circulating coins are dated 2003.
How do I identify the 2003 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Suffragette Movement?
Check the weight 8g and diameter 27.3mm and the metal (copper-nickel) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The Suffragettes 50p was issued in 2003 for the centenary of the Women's Social and Political Union, founded in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia. The Royal Mint describes the WSPU as the body that led the militant campaign for women's suffrage, which brought partial voting rights for women in 1918 and equal franchise in 1928.
The royal proclamation fixing the design came into force on 21 November 2002. The coin was struck for general circulation, and the Royal Mint's figures give 3,124,030, against 23,583,000 Britannia 50p coins of the same date.
That is a low figure for its period. Of the eleven commemorative 50p designs dated 1998 to 2010 in the Royal Mint's figures, only the 2009 Kew Gardens coin (210,000) was struck in smaller numbers.
Mary Milner Dickens designed the reverse. It shows a suffragette chained to railings and holding a banner lettered WSPU. To the right is a ballot paper marked with a cross and the words GIVE WOMEN THE VOTE, to the left the value 50 PENCE, and the anniversary dates 1903 and 2003 sit below and to the far right.
It was her third 50p. The Royal Mint also credits her with the Single Market coin dated 1992 to 1993 and the Public Libraries coin of 2000.
The obverse carries the portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley, used on 50p coins from 1998 to 2015, with the date after the royal titles. The proclamation specifies a plain edge.
Collecting notes
This is a current-size 50p (27.3mm, 8g), so unlike the large coins withdrawn in 1998 it remains legal tender and can still turn up in change. On a circulated example, look at the smallest lettering first: WSPU on the banner and GIVE WOMEN THE VOTE on the ballot paper should still be readable.
The Royal Mint's sales figures for 2003 list 9,582 Brilliant Uncirculated coins, 6,267 silver proofs against a limit of 15,000, 6,795 silver piedforts against a limit of 7,500 and 942 gold proofs against a limit of 1,000. None of these count towards the circulating figure.
The design was struck again in 2009 for the 40th anniversary 50p collection, which brought together 16 reverse designs. The Mint's sales figures show 1,039 base metal collections, 1,163 in silver, 70 in gold and 40 in gold piedfort. Those are collector pieces: every circulating coin is dated 2003.
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin. Dickens's earlier commemorative from the same size of coin is the Public Libraries 50p.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- UK coin mintage figures (data file), The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 50p Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 2003 Elizabeth II 'The 100th Anniversary of the Formation of the Women's Social and Political Union' 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for fifty pence coins commemorating the centenary of the formation of the Women's Social and Political Union, London Gazette issue 56771, 3 December 2002, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Commemorative Coin Sales 2003, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and designs for new fifty pence coins, London Gazette issue 59124, 10 July 2009, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Commemorative Coin Sales 2009, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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