Arguably Britains greatest scientist/mathematician, but is the Sir Issac Newton 50p worth much?
Well, you’ll be pleased to know it is actually one of the rarer 50p coins in circulation so read on to find out exactly what it’s worth today at current market prices.
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Sir Isaac Newton 50p Coin 2017
The Sir Isaac Newton 50p was released by The Royal Mint to celebrate 375 years since the birth of the world-famous mathematician and scientist.
Sir Isaac Newtons achievements were quite astounding, and even included him working at The Royal Mint for no less than 3 decades!
The coin was designed by Aaron West, whose initials “AW” can be seen near the bottom edging of the coin.
The design itself is based on elements of Proposition 11 from book one of Newton’s Principia Mathematica.
Credit: The Royal Mint
How Much is the Sir Isaac Newton 50p Worth in 2024?
The Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin is valued at approximately £3.50 to £4.00 in very good to excellent condition. Uncirculated the value could be up to £10, which is up to 20 times its face value.
Estimated Prices are as follows:
- Average circulated condition 50p
- Very good to excellent circulated condition £3.50 to £4.00
- Uncirculated condition £5.00 to £10.00
How Many Sir Isaac Newton 50p Coins Were Made?
There were 1,801,500 Sir Issac Newton 50p coins minted for circulation in 2017. It was one of 6 designs released into circulation in that year.
Initially, only 375 Sir Isaac Newton 50p coins were released into circulation, to mark the 375th anniversary of his birth.
The Royal Mint has since confirmed the total mintage to be over 1.8 million.
2018 Sir Isaac Newton 50p
For a short period of time in 2018 The Royal Mint Experience in Llantrisant, Wales allowed visitors to mint their very own 2018 dated Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin. None of these was issued for circulation.
This could well mean, the 2018 Sir Isaac Newton 50p is rarer than Kew Gardens 50p, which is so far the rarest 50p in circulation.
To get one would have cost a £13.50 entry ticket to The Royal Mint Experience plus an extra £5 to strike your own 50p coin.
These can be found on sites like eBay presented in “I Struck My Own Coin” presentation packs.
When we last checked the value of the 2018 Sir Isaac Newton 50p pack on eBay averaged £40.
Is the Sir Isaac Newton 50p Coin Rare?
With a mintage figure of under 2 million the Sir Issac Newton 50p coin is considered one of the more rare 50p coins in circulation today.
Excluding the set of 2012 Olympic Games 50p’s, it is the 5th rarest in circulation. At the time of its release, it was the second rarest behind the mega-rare Kew Gardens 50p.
Is it Worth Selling a Sir Isaac Newton 50p?
With the Sir Issac Newton 50p coin being worth about 7 times more than its face value in very good to the excellent condition it could be well worth selling if you want to release that value.
You can sell on sites like eBay but you may incur listing and selling fees. It might be worth checking for Facebook groups that offer options for safe selling.
Who was Sir Isaac Newton?
Sir Isaac Newton was born in 1643 was a scientist, mathematician and astronomer.
He is best known for his discovering the laws of gravity, the pulling force which pulls objects to the earth’s surface. He also worked out it was gravity that kept the Earth’s moon in orbit.
Isaac Newton main discoveries and inventions include:
- Gravity – the pulling force which also accounts for the movement of the Earth, Moon, Sun and other planets
- Laws of Motion – which are 3 laws that explain the relationship between an object and its motion, based on the forces acting upon it
- Inventing Calculus – the mathematical study of continuous change.
- Inventing Reflecting Telescope – the type of which most telescopes are still made today
It is no wonder that Albert Einstein is claimed to have stated the Issac Newton “was the smartest person who had ever lived”.
Sir Isaac Newtons Work at the Royal Mint
Sir Issac Newton also has a huge connection to our British Coinage history. He worked as part of the Royal Mint for over 3 decades as Master of the Mint in 1699. In the days before his appointment, it was believed that up to one in 10 coins were counterfeit.
Isaac Newton used his great mathematical and scientific skills to focus on the quality and reliability of coin production so the coinage produced could not be easily forged. The Royal Mints coins soon became world-renowned for quality.
You can read more about Sir Issac Newtown – Master of the Mint here.