Exceptional: fewer than 1,000 minted. Rarely sells: 2 verified sales in the last 12 months.
50 Pence - Elizabeth II Stephen Hawking Gold Proof (2019)
Circulating version: 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Stephen Hawking
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2019 |
| Denomination | 50 Pence |
| Face value | 50p |
| Mintage | 396 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| 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) |
Fifth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the George IV State Diadem, legend around.
An image of a black hole amid swirling lines angled to inspire thoughts of space curving around an event horizon with
Gold Proof 50p market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateGold Proof 50p price history
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 | £1,250.00 🔒 | £1,175.00 (2) | – | £1,100.00 – £1,250.00 | 1 | 2 | 06-12-2025 | |
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| PR-65 | £1,895.00 🔒 eBay | £880.00 | – | £850.00 – £1,895.00 | 1 | 4 | 04-10-2026 | |
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| PR-70 | £1,000.00 🔒 | £1,000.00 (1) | – | £1,000.00 – £1,000.00 | 0 | 1 | 29-05-2024 | |
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About the 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Stephen Hawking – Gold Proof
The 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Stephen Hawking – Gold Proof is a collector 50 pence coin, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 15.5g and measures 27.3mm across. Reverse design: An image of a black hole amid swirling lines angled to inspire thoughts of space curving around an event horizon with.
396 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Stephen Hawking – Gold Proof worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Stephen Hawking – Gold Proof run from £880 to £1,175 across 3 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one. Its gold content is worth about £1,369 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How is the 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Stephen Hawking – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II – Stephen Hawking, 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 2019 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Stephen Hawking – 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 – Stephen Hawking. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
The Stephen Hawking 50p was issued in 2019 to celebrate the life and work of the physicist. The Royal Mint tied it to the first anniversary of his death and presented it as the first coin in a new series celebrating innovators in science. Its sales text pointed to his theories on the Big Bang, black holes and the history of the universe, and to his gift for making complex ideas relatable.
This is a collector coin. It does not appear in the Royal Mint's circulating mintage figures, which list only Sherlock Holmes and the two Paddington designs among the commemorative 50p coins of 2019. The Royal Mint's sales figures instead record 107,209 Brilliant Uncirculated coins and another 105,000 in tubes.
The reverse is by Edwina Ellis, described by the Royal Mint as a printmaker. The proclamation calls it "a stylized depiction of a black hole with the inscription STEPHEN HAWKING and the entropy equation". The Royal Mint said the design dares the viewer to peer into a black hole and contemplate what lies beyond, and that it was inspired by Hawking's wit as well as his science.
The denomination is on the other side. The obverse carries the fifth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, with the inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D 50 PENCE and the date 2019. The edge is plain.
Sources
- Celebrating the Life of Stephen Hawking 2019 UK 50p Brilliant Uncirculated Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- 50p Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for a new series of fifty pence coins in gold, standard silver, silver piedfort and cupro-nickel celebrating the life and work of Stephen Hawking (notice 3204634, 15 February 2019), The Gazette (read 9 Oct 2026)
- UK coin mintage figures (data file), The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Commemorative Coin Sales 2019, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Celebrating the Life of Stephen Hawking 2019 UK 50p Silver Proof Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Celebrating the Life of Stephen Hawking 2019 UK 50p Gold Proof Coin, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
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