The NHS 50p was one of the first new designs of the 50 pence pieces we have in circulation today.
They are not commonly seen in our change as much these days, so if you find one it will be the condition it’s in which determines it’s potential worth.
Read on to find out the current NHS 50p value or a guide price of what to pay if you are considering buying one depending on its condition.
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1998 NHS 50p Coin
The NHS 50p celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the National Health Service which was founded in 1948.
The 1998 NHS 50p coin was one of the first designs minted in the new size 50 pence piece design size which initially came into circulation in 1997 replacing the previously larger 50ps. The new 50p was smaller in both diameter and in it’s thickness.
The NHS design itself depicts a pair of open hands with the denomination “50” at the base of the hands with light radiating upwards towards the inscription “FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY”. Outside the circle of this inner design, we see inscribed “NHS” 5 times along with “PENCE” at the bottom, directly under the “50” within the design above.
How Much is the NHS Fiftieth Anniversary 50p Worth in 2024?
Value: An NHS 50p in the circulated condition is typically worth between 50p to £3.00 depending upon its condition. Uncirculated examples can be worth between £10.00 to £12.00.
A breakdown of estimated prices are as follows:
- Average circulated condition 50p
- Very good to excellent circulated condition £1.50 to £3.00
- Uncirculated condition £10.00 to £12.00
How Many NHS 50p Coins Were Made?
There were 5,001,000 NHS 50p coins minted in 1998. The coin is still in circulation as it was one of the first 50p designs to be minted using the new smaller all round 50p coin design that have continued until this day.
50p coins minted prior to 1997 are no longer in circulation.
In 1997 the Royal Mint only issued the Britannia design, all 456,364,100 of them.
Is the NHS 50p Coin Rare?
With just over 5 million 50p coins minted the NHS 50p coin is one of rarer 50p designs, just falling outside the list of top 10 rarest 50p’s if you are excluding the Olympic games designs, which some collectors prefer to do, especially when just starting out.
The fact the coin is now over 20 years old also makes it less likely to be seen in your change, especially in good enough condition to resell at a higher price than its 50 pence face value.
However, the uncirculated NHS 50p coins are quite rare and well worth looking out for.
Generally, a 50p with a mintage of less than 2 million is considered one of the rarer designs to find. The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p coin is by far the rarest and most valuable with only 210,000 minted.
Is it Worth Selling an NHS 50p?
NHS 50p coins in excellent condition can be worth selling if you are happy to go to the effort for 3 to 6 times face value. Uncirculated versions of the coin are the most sought after and attract much higher prices.
Circulated versions in above average condition are still worth above face value, but it tends to be personal choice as to whether it’s worthwhile going to the effort to sell an individual coin.
Bearing in mind the time it takes and possible fees incurred if you use sites like eBay.
About the NHS
The year the National Health Service was founded was 1948, this also happened to be the year in which London also held the Olympics.
The connection with the Olympics is interesting for coin collectors because it also ties in with the set of 29 London 2012 Olympic Games 50ps which were minted in 2011. It was this set that ignited a collecting frenzy of now the UK’s most collected coin to 50 pence piece.
The NHS was also prominently featured in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony in which they quoted Aneurin Bevan the Minister of Health at the time:
>> No society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means
The quote above highlights the intention of creating a public health service for everyone whether they can afford treatment or not.
NHS treatment is provided for free when needed including for the following:
- General Practioner (GP) appointments
- Hospital Admissions
- A &E Emergency services
- Ambulance service
- Dentistry
It’s possible many of us growing up with access to these services take them for granted.
In many other countries, even developed nations like the US, individuals have to pay for such services, which if they don’t have insurance for can lead to huge medical bills and debts that can take years to pay off. Or potentially no treatment at all.
The NHS has been consistently ranked by the British public as one of the proudest reasons for being British.
