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50 Pence - Elizabeth II NHS 50th Anniversary Gold Proof (1998–2009)
Circulating version: 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – NHS 50th Anniversary
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1998–2009 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 70 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | NHS Commemoratives |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 15.500g · 0.4568 t oz |
| Diameter | 27.3mm |
| Shape | Equilateral curve heptagon (7-sided) |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
| Tags | commemorative |
Fourth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, legend around.
A pair of hands set against a pattern of radiating lines, denomination below, legend above.
Gold Proof 50p market value
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Daily limit reachedGold Proof 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDC | £1,000.00 🔒 | £1,000.00 (1) | – | £1,000.00 – £1,000.00 | 0 | 1 | 01-06-2025 | |
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About the 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II NHS 50th Anniversary – Gold Proof
The 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II NHS 50th Anniversary – Gold Proof is a collector 50 pence coin issued from 1998 to 2009 in the NHS Commemoratives series, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 15.5g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: A pair of hands set against a pattern of radiating lines, denomination below, legend above.
A mintage of 70 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II NHS 50th Anniversary – Gold Proof worth?
The 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II NHS 50th Anniversary – Gold Proof has a price in one grade on MyCoinage so far: £1,000 in FDC, the median of its verified sales. Its gold content is worth about £1,373 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How is the 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II NHS 50th Anniversary – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – NHS 50th Anniversary, not the coin found in change. At 15.5g of 91.67% gold it is heavier than the 8g nickel circulating coin, so weighing it is the quickest check.
How do I identify the 1998 50 Pence - Elizabeth II NHS 50th Anniversary – Gold Proof?
Check the weight 15.5g and diameter 27.3mm and the metal (91.67% gold) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
This is a collector version of the 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – NHS 50th Anniversary. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
The National Health Service was established by Aneurin Bevan in 1948, on the principle of universal healthcare funded through taxation. For its 50th anniversary in 1998 the Royal Mint issued a commemorative 50p. The proclamation setting out the design was given at Windsor Castle on 22 April 1998 and came into force the next day.
It was the second commemorative 50p of that year, after the coin for the UK's Presidency of the European Union, and one of the first in the small size introduced in September 1997.
The Royal Mint's figures give 5,001,000 struck for circulation. Among commemorative 50p coins dated before 2009, only two have lower figures: the Single Market coin at 109,000 and the 2003 Suffragettes coin at 3,124,030. The EU coin of 1998 is a fraction higher at 5,043,000.
David Cornell designed the reverse. The official description is a pair of hands set against a pattern of radiating lines, with the words FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY and the value 50 PENCE, accompanied by the initials NHS, which appear five times on the outer border.
The obverse has the portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley, introduced in 1998, with the inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D and the date. The proclamation specifies a plain edge.
Sources
- 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)
- 1998 Elizabeth II 'The 50th Anniversary of the Creation of the NHS' 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for fifty pence coins commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the National Health Service, London Gazette issue 55133, 21 May 1998, pages 5693 to 5694, The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Silver Proof Set Celebrates 40th Year of UK 50p (Royal Mint press release, 22 September 2009), CoinNews (read 9 Oct 2026)
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