Uncommon: fewer than 10,000,000 minted. Sells often: 185 verified sales in the last 12 months.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 5th portrait Squirrel Nutkin (2016)
"Squirrel Nutkin 50p"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2016 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 5,000,000 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Beatrix Potter 50p |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Composition | Copper-nickel |
| Weight | 8.000g |
| Diameter | 27.3mm |
| Shape | Equilateral curve heptagon (7-sided) |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Jody Clark |
| Rev. artist | Emma Noble |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fifth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
ELIZABETH II D G REG F D 50 PENCE 2016
Image of Beatrix Potter's Squirrel Nutkin dividing legend.
Squirrel Nutkin 50p market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateSquirrel Nutkin 50p price history
Daily limit reachedSquirrel Nutkin 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 | £1.05 🔒 eBay | £2.49 | – | £0.99 – £5.99 | 19 | 19 | 06-10-2026 | |
|
Loading…
|
||||||||
| BU | £6.99 🔒 eBay | £4.92 | ▼45.3% | £2.67 – £13.99 | 25 | 25 | 12-10-2026 | |
|
Loading…
|
||||||||
| VF | £8.66 🔒 eBay | £1.17 | ▼41.5% | £0.63 – £9.95 | 140 | 140 | 15-10-2026 | |
|
Loading…
|
||||||||
| G | £1.50 🔒 eBay | £1.50 (1) | – | £1.50 – £1.50 | 1 | 1 | 11-08-2026 | |
|
Loading…
|
||||||||
About the 2016 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Squirrel Nutkin
The 2016 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Squirrel Nutkin is a circulating 50 pence coin in the Beatrix Potter 50p series, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 8g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: Image of Beatrix Potter's Squirrel Nutkin dividing legend.
5,000,000 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2016 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Squirrel Nutkin worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2016 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Squirrel Nutkin run from £1.17 to £4.92 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many Squirrel Nutkin 50p coins were made?
The Royal Mint's mintage figures give 5,000,000 struck for circulation, all dated 2016. That is the second lowest of the five Beatrix Potter 50p coins of that year, above Jemima Puddle-Duck at 2,100,000 and below the Beatrix Potter portrait coin at 6,900,000.
Is the Squirrel Nutkin 50p rare?
It is scarcer than most 2016 Beatrix Potter coins but not rare. Five coins in the series have lower mintages in the Royal Mint's figures: Jemima Puddle-Duck and all four 2018 coins. At 5,000,000 it is still found in change.
Who designed the Squirrel Nutkin 50p?
Emma Noble designed the reverse, working from Beatrix Potter's original illustrations. The obverse carries the fifth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, which shows the Queen wearing the George IV State Diadem.
Which Beatrix Potter story is Squirrel Nutkin from?
Squirrel Nutkin is the lead character of a Beatrix Potter tale that the Royal Mint dates to 1903. The Mint's description of the coin refers to his once-bushy tail and his cheeky personality in that story.
Is the Squirrel Nutkin 50p still legal tender?
Yes. It is a current-size 50p, struck for general circulation, and remains legal tender. The Royal Mint lists it among its circulating coins with a mintage of 5,000,000.
How do I identify the 2016 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Squirrel Nutkin?
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
Squirrel Nutkin closed the Royal Mint's 2016 set of 50p coins for the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth. The Mint describes it as the fifth release in the series, after the coin for Potter herself, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Its archive listing also notes that this was the first time Squirrel Nutkin had appeared on an official 50p coin.
The design was fixed by a proclamation made on 15 March 2016, which covered Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle as well.
The Royal Mint's figures give 5,000,000 struck for circulation. Within the 2016 set only Jemima Puddle-Duck is lower, at 2,100,000. The other three are higher: the portrait coin at 6,900,000, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle at 8,800,000 and Peter Rabbit at 9,700,000. Across the thirteen circulating Beatrix Potter 50p coins dated 2016 to 2018 it is the sixth lowest, because all four 2018 coins were struck in smaller numbers still.
Emma Noble designed the reverse, drawing on Potter's original illustrations. The proclamation describes a portrait of Squirrel Nutkin with the inscription SQUIRREL NUTKIN. The Royal Mint points to his distinctive posture, his whiskers and his once-bushy tail, and says the design reflects his cheeky personality in the 1903 tale.
The obverse carries the fifth portrait of the Queen, by Jody Clark, showing her wearing the George IV State Diadem. Its inscription reads ELIZABETH II D G REG F D 50 PENCE 2016, so the value and date are on the obverse. The coin has the usual seven-sided shape and a plain edge.
Collecting notes
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin.
Coins struck for circulation are plain cupro-nickel with no colour. The 2016 proclamation also provided for a silver version, and the Royal Mint sold a Brilliant Uncirculated coin in fold-out packaging and in a five-coin set of the series. None of these are included in the 5,000,000.
This is a current-size 50p (27.3mm, 8g) and still circulates, though it appears less often than Peter Rabbit or Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle of the same year. On a coin from change, check the fur texture of the tail and body, which is shallow and wears smooth quickly, and the open field either side of the figure, which shows contact marks.
The lower mintage sister coin is the Jemima Puddle-Duck 50p, and the series opened with the Beatrix Potter 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)
- 2016 Elizabeth II 'Beatrix Potter - Squirrel Nutkin' 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and designs for fifty pence coins commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter (notice 2505989), The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 2016 Squirrel Nutkin 50p Coin - BU, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
More from Beatrix Potter 50p
