Guide

1950s UK Coins Guide: Every Issue with Realised Prices

Every UK coin issued during the 1950s, George VI (to 1952), Elizabeth II (from 1953). The Elizabeth II coronation, Festival of Britain crown, transition from George VI portrait to the new Mary Gillick portrait. Our catalogue holds 42 distinct coin entries spanning standard circulation issues and Royal Mint commemorative variants. Each row links to the catalogue page with live realised prices.

Reviewed by Connor Jones, Editor Last updated:
In brief. 1950s, George VI (to 1952), Elizabeth II (from 1953). 42 distinct coins in our catalogue. Sortable table below; click any coin for live realised price data.

Every UK coin from the 1950s

YearCoinDenominationMetalMintage
1950 4 Shillings - George VI Pattern 4 Shillings nickel ,
1951 Replica - Victoria - 1 Crown 3rd portrait, 1951 1 Crown nickel ,
1951 5 Shillings - George VI Festival of Britain 5 Shillings nickel 1,983,540
1952 1 Penny - George VI without 'IND:IMP' 1 Penny copper ,
1952 Postal Order - One Shilling Six Pence 1 Shilling 6 Pence base ,
1953 1 Farthing - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; with 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Farthing copper 6,131,037
1953 1 Penny - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; with 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Penny copper 1,308,400
1953 1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 1st issue 1 Penny silver 1,050
1953 1 Shilling - Elizabeth II English shield; with 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Shilling nickel 41,942,894
1953 1 Shilling - Elizabeth II Scottish shield; with 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Shilling nickel 20,663,528
1953 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; Pattern 1 Sovereign gold ,
1953 ½ Crown - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; with 'BRITT:OMN' ½ Crown nickel 4,333,214
1953 ½ Penny - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; with 'BRITT:OMN' ½ Penny copper 8,926,366
1953 2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 1st issue 2 Pence silver 1,025
1953 2 Shillings - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; with 'BRITT:OMN' 2 Shillings nickel 11,958,710
1953 3 Pence - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; with 'BRITT:OMN' 3 Pence nickel 30,618,000
1953 3 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 1st issue 3 Pence silver 1,078
1953 4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 1st issue 4 Pence silver 1,078
1953 5 Shillings - Elizabeth II Coronation 5 Shillings nickel 5,962,621
1953 6 Pence - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; with 'BRITT:OMN' 6 Pence nickel 70,323,876
1954 1 Farthing - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Farthing copper 6,566,400
1954 1 Penny - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Penny copper 48,313,400
1954 1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 2nd issue 1 Penny silver 1,088
1954 1 Shilling - Elizabeth II English shield; without 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Shilling nickel 30,262,032
1954 1 Shilling - Elizabeth II Scottish shield; without 'BRITT:OMN' 1 Shilling nickel 26,771,735
1954 ½ Crown - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' ½ Crown nickel 11,614,953
1954 ½ Penny - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' ½ Penny copper 19,375,200
1954 2 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 2nd issue 2 Pence silver 1,020
1954 2 Shillings - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' 2 Shillings nickel 13,085,422
1954 3 Pence - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' 3 Pence nickel 41,720,000
1954 3 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 2nd issue 3 Pence silver 1,076
1954 4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal; 2nd issue 4 Pence silver 1,050
1954 6 Pence - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' 6 Pence nickel 105,241,150
1956 1 Pound - British Armed Forces 3rd series 1 Pound base ,
1956 1 Shilling - British Armed Forces 3rd series 1 Shilling base ,
1956 10 Shillings - British Armed Forces 3rd series 10 Shillings base ,
1956 2 Shillings 6 Pence - British Armed Forces 3rd series 2 Shillings 6 Pence base ,
1956 3 Pence - British Armed Forces 3rd series 3 Pence base ,
1956 6 Pence - British Armed Forces 3rd series 6 Pence base ,
1957 1 Crown - Edward VIII Wreath Pattern; Silver 1 Crown silver 975
1957 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 1st portrait 1 Sovereign gold 2,072,000
1958 1 Penny Kiddicraft 1 Penny , ,

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1950s UK coins (BIN) ↗ Year 1950 coins ↗ Year 1959 coins ↗ Royal Mint 1950+ packs ↗

Frequently asked questions

Which monarchs reigned during the 1950s?
George VI (to 1952), Elizabeth II (from 1953). See our individual Victoria, George V, Edward VIII and Charles III guides for reign-specific detail.
How many distinct UK coins were issued in the 1950s?
Our catalogue holds 42 distinct coin entries with year_start in this decade, including standard circulation issues and Royal Mint commemorative variants (silver proof, silver piedfort, gold proof, etc.).
What was the most-collected coin from this decade?
The Elizabeth II coronation, Festival of Britain crown, transition from George VI portrait to the new Mary Gillick portrait. Use the catalogue table below to browse every coin in detail.
Are coins from this decade still legal tender?
Pre-1971 (pre-decimal) coins were demonetised on 31 December 1992 (1p, 6d, 1s, 2s pre-decimal) and various dates in the 1970s and 1980s for other denominations. Post-decimal coinage (1971+) is still legal tender, though some specific issues (the original large 50p and large 10p) were demonetised when smaller-diameter versions replaced them. All decimal-era coins in our catalogue retain at least face value.
How much is a typical coin from this decade worth?
Common-date circulating coins typically trade at face value to a few pounds in average grade. Royal Mint silver and gold proofs from collector packs trade at £30-300+. Specific key-date and rarity coins (1933 penny, 1925 Wreath threepence, 1971 silver proof set, 2009 Kew Gardens 50p) trade at £100-72,000+ depending on the piece. Click any coin in the table to see live realised auction prices for its grades.
Where can I buy coins from this decade?
For circulated material: eBay UK, local coin fairs (search BNTA fair calendar), or BNTA-member dealers. For sealed Royal Mint packs and slabbed material: Royal Mint direct, BNTA dealers, or specialist UK auction houses (Spink, Baldwin's, London Coins). See our UK auction house comparison.
Are these coins CGT-exempt?
All UK legal-tender coins are exempt from Capital Gains Tax indefinitely, regardless of holding period or capital gain. This includes pre-decimal silver, gold sovereigns, decimal commemoratives, and all Royal Mint legal-tender issues. See our CGT-exempt coins UK guide.
How do I authenticate older coins?
For coins worth £100+, professional grading at PCGS, NGC or CGS UK is the standard. The grading service authenticates the coin and assigns a verified grade in a tamper-evident slab. For lower-value coins, the five-test framework (weight, diameter, edge inspection, magnet test, surface relief) catches 95%+ of fakes. See our how to spot fake British coins guide.
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