Kew Gardens 50p: the 2009 coin, the 2019 version and how to check yours

The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p had a circulating mintage of 210,000, according to The Royal Mint, and was the rarest 50p in circulation until the 2023 Atlantic Salmon. A 2019-dated Kew design was sold only in collector sets, so check the year and the portrait before getting excited.

By the Coin Scanner team · Updated 2026-10-13

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Why the Kew Gardens 50p is so scarce

The Kew Gardens 50p was issued in 2009 to mark 250 years of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, which were founded in 1759. Christopher Le Brun's reverse shows the gardens' Great Pagoda with a leafy climbing plant winding around it, the dates 1759 and 2009 on either side and the word KEW at its base.

Only 210,000 were released into circulation. The Royal Mint explains that demand for 50p coins from banks and post offices was low when the coin came out, so few were needed. In everyday terms that is tiny: other 50p designs of the period were struck in their millions. For fourteen years it was the lowest-mintage 50p you could find in change, until the 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p (200,000) took the title. Because the coin became famous among collectors, many of the 210,000 were put aside rather than spent, so finding one in change today is unusual.

Circulating coins, collector versions and the 2019 coin

The 210,000 figure covers only coins struck for circulation. The same design was also produced for collectors in other finishes and metals. The Royal Mint has said, for example, that 629 gold proof Kew Gardens 50p coins were struck in 2009. Those are entirely separate from the coins that went into change.

In 2019 The Royal Mint marked 50 years of the 50p with collector sets of famous designs, and the Kew Gardens reverse was included alongside the original Britannia, Scouting, Girl Guides and Roger Bannister designs. These 2019-dated coins were sold in Brilliant Uncirculated and proof sets. The Royal Mint's circulating mintage table has no 2019 Kew Gardens entry, and its own rarity guide stresses that the scarce coin is the original 2009 issue.

How to tell a 2009 circulating coin from a 2019 set coin

A worn coin from change with Ian Rank-Broadley's earlier portrait of the Queen is almost certainly the 2009 circulating issue. A sharp, gleaming coin with the later portrait that came out of a folder or case is a 2019 collector coin.

Fakes and online marketplace listings

Because the Kew Gardens 50p is so well known, listings for it deserve extra care. The Royal Mint warns that coins on the secondary market can be overpriced, described inaccurately or, in rare cases, counterfeit, and suggests researching before you buy or consulting an expert if you are unsure. Before you trust a coin or a listing, check it against The Royal Mint's specification:

1. Weight and size. A genuine coin is cupro-nickel, weighs 8.00 g and measures 27.30 mm across. A digital scale that reads to 0.01 g will show up a coin that is clearly too light or too heavy.
2. Shape and edge. It should be seven-sided with a plain edge, like other current 50ps.
3. Obverse. The 2009 coin carries Ian Rank-Broadley's fourth portrait of the Queen. A different portrait means it is either a 2019 set coin or not genuine.
4. Reverse details. Look for the pagoda wrapped in a climbing plant, 1759 and 2009 on either side and KEW at the base. Compare the coin closely with The Royal Mint's own images.
5. The listing itself. Asking prices are not sale prices. The Royal Mint suggests checking official mintage figures and the condition of a coin before agreeing on a price.

What a Kew Gardens 50p is worth

The Royal Mint notes that there have been reports of both circulating and commemorative Kew Gardens coins selling for well above face value, but there is no fixed price. Value depends mostly on condition: a coin with little wear and a clean surface attracts far more interest than one that has spent years in purses and tills. Whether the coin is a circulating 2009 strike or a collector piece in original packaging also changes what buyers will pay.

To check what you have, photograph both sides with Coin Scanner. It identifies the design, reads the date and gives an estimated value range. Treat that as a starting point, not a final valuation. For a coin in exceptional condition, ask a professional to look at it before you sell.

Looking for other scarce coins in your change? See our guides to rare 50p coins, rare £2 coins and the undated 20p.

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