Exceptional: fewer than 1,000 minted.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II Sir Isaac Newton Gold Proof (2017)
Circulating version: 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Sir Isaac Newton
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2017 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 395 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 15.500g · 0.4568 t oz |
| Diameter | 27.3mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fifth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
Design based upon elements of Proposition 11 in Book One of Newton's Principia Mathematica, legend above, denomination below.
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 | £830.00 🔒 | £815.00 (2) | – | £800.00 – £830.00 | 0 | 2 | 01-12-2024 | |
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About the 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Sir Isaac Newton – Gold Proof
The 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Sir Isaac Newton – Gold Proof is a collector 50 pence coin, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 15.5g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: Design based upon elements of Proposition 11 in Book One of Newton's Principia Mathematica, legend above, denomination below.
395 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Sir Isaac Newton – Gold Proof worth?
The 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Sir Isaac Newton – Gold Proof has a price in one grade on MyCoinage so far: £815 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 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Sir Isaac Newton – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Sir Isaac Newton, 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 2017 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Sir Isaac Newton – 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 – Sir Isaac Newton. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
The Sir Isaac Newton 50p was issued in 2017 for the 375th anniversary of Newton's birth. The Royal Mint had its own reason to honour him. Newton became Master of the Mint in 1699 and held the post until his death in March 1727, pursuing counterfeiters and tightening the standards to which coins were made. The Mint's design listing describes him as one of the most famous figures ever to hold the role, and places the coin first in its Innovations in Science series.
The Royal Mint's figures give 1,801,500 struck for circulation, all dated 2017. That is a low figure. It is almost identical to the 1,800,000 Royal Shield 50p coins of the same year and a fraction of the four Beatrix Potter coins of 2017, which run from 9,500,000 to 25,000,000. Among commemorative 50p designs outside the 2011 Olympic sports series, only the 2009 Kew Gardens coin (210,000) and three 2018 Beatrix Potter coins are lower in the Royal Mint's figures.
Aaron West, a graphic designer at the Royal Mint, designed the reverse after winning a design competition. Expecting other entrants to use a portrait, he said he "took a gamble" and went down "the scientific route of theories and maths".
The design is based on elements of Proposition 11 in Book One of Newton's Principia Mathematica. West explained that the Sun lies at the common focal point of three ellipses representing the orbits of different planets. The geometry was checked against a template and by an outside expert. The inscription reads SIR ISAAC NEWTON with the denomination FIFTY PENCE, and West's initials sit, very small, at the bottom right.
The obverse has Jody Clark's fifth portrait of the Queen with ELIZABETH II DEI GRA REG FID DEF and the date. The edge is plain.
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)
- 2017 Elizabeth II 'Innovations in Science - Sir Isaac Newton' 50p Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for new fifty pence coins celebrating Sir Isaac Newton (notice 2648613), The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Sir Isaac Newton 2017 UK 50p BU Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Behind the Design: Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin (Royal Mint Blog, archived copy of 17 October 2018), The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Strike Your Own Coin Sales, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- The 2017 UK Annual Coin Set, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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