Royal Mint produces Britain’s first £50 ‘face value’ coin

The Royal Mint has produced its first £50 coin which has a face value for the same amount.

TheRoyal Mint's first ever £50 coin which also has a face value for the same amount. Picture: PA

A fine silver coin has been launched to celebrate the year that the Queen became the nation’s longest-reigning monarch.

The Royal Mint, whose history of producing coinage goes back more than 1,000 years, said this is the first time it has issued a £50 coin with the same face value.

Unusually for the Mint, the portraits on both sides of the coin are by the same artist – 33-year old Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark.

Mr Clark designed the fifth definitive portrait of the Queen to appear on circulating coins since her accession to the throne in 1952. The portrait of the Queen started to appear on coins from March.

He said: “Having my portrait of the Queen selected for Britain’s coinage was an incredible experience, but now, seeing the portrait combined with my Britannia design on the UK’s new £50 coin is a double honour.”