2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p
The 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p is a Royal Mint collector issue that was never released into circulation. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2019
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Designer
- Nick Park
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p worth?
This design was never released into circulation. The Royal Mint sold it in brilliant uncirculated packs and annual sets, so almost every example is a collector piece. One found in change is still legal tender at 50 pence; out of its pack it brings a small premium at most, while a coin still sealed in its original packaging is what collectors want.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with no scratches or contact marks
- Original Royal Mint pack or presentation folder
- A genuine mint error, confirmed by an expert
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p rare?
- It is scarcer than most 50p coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- Who designed the 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p?
- The design is credited to Nick Park.
- What is the 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p made of?
- Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel). It weighs 8.0 g and measures 27.3 mm, with a seven-sided (equilateral curve heptagon) shape.
- Is the 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p still legal tender?
- Yes. Every 27.3 mm 50p, including commemoratives, is legal tender in the UK.
Why the 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p was made
Wallace and Gromit first appeared in A Grand Day Out, Nick Park's short animated film completed in 1989. Wallace, an inventor who loves cheese, finds there is none left in the house, so he and his clever dog Gromit build a rocket in the basement and fly to the moon, which Wallace is sure is made of cheese. The film was nominated for an Oscar. Park went on to win Oscars with the same pair for The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995).
The Royal Mint marked the 30th anniversary of A Grand Day Out with this 50p in 2019. It went on sale only as a brilliant uncirculated coin in packs and was never delivered to banks for circulation. That means a Wallace and Gromit 50p in your change is a pack coin someone decided to spend. It is legal tender worth 50p, but you should not expect to see one often: the number that reach tills this way is small next to any circulating commemorative.
How to recognize it
Nick Park himself is credited with the design, which shows Wallace and Gromit peering out of the round porthole of their homemade rocket. It is a direct nod to A Grand Day Out rather than the later films. Turn it over for Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the 2019 date. There is no other Wallace and Gromit 50p to confuse it with, so identification is quick. The coin is the standard cupronickel 50p, seven-sided and 27.3 millimeters across, with a plain edge. Check the porthole rim and the two faces: they are the highest points and the first to wear.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only 50p coins dated 2019 were The Gruffalo, Stephen Hawking, Peter Rabbit, 50 Years of the 50p: British Culture Set, 50 Years of the 50p: British Military Set, The Gruffalo and Mouse and The Snowman.
For comparison, the 50p coins that did reach change in 2019 were the Paddington at the Tower (9 million), the Paddington at St Paul's (9 million) and the Sherlock Holmes (8.6 million).
What to check on your 2019 Wallace and Gromit 50p
- Confirm the design. The reverse should match the Wallace and Gromit described above and carry the date 2019; similar designs from other years are a common mix-up.
- Weigh it if you can: a genuine 27.3 mm 50p weighs 8.0 g. Copies are often light, slightly soft in detail or the wrong color.
- Ignore painted or colored versions sold online as special editions. Color added after the coin left the Mint does not make it a Royal Mint issue and does not add collector value.
- Look at the surfaces under a bright light. Coins straight from a pack have unbroken luster; change-worn coins show scuffs on the high points of the portrait and design.
Being designed by the characters' own creator gives this coin extra appeal. It is popular with film fans as well as coin collectors. With no circulation mintage, it is far scarcer in change than the 50ps the Royal Mint issued through banks in the same years. An unopened pack in good condition carries a collector premium. Spent coins usually show nicks and rub on the faces and porthole, which brings them nearer face value or a small premium. A pack coin has even, bright luster all over; a coin that has been in purses looks flatter and grayer.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2019 |
| Circulation mintage | None (collector issue) |
| Composition | Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) |
| Weight | 8.0 g |
| Diameter | 27.3 mm |
| Shape | Seven-sided (equilateral curve heptagon) |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Nick Park |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2019 50p coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Paddington at the Tower 50p | 9,001,000 | Face value |
| 2019 Paddington at St Paul's 50p | 9,001,000 | Face value |
| 2019 Sherlock Holmes 50p | 8,602,000 | Face value |
| 2019 Gruffalo 50p | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 Stephen Hawking 50p | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 Peter Rabbit 50p | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 50 Years of the 50p: British Culture Set 50p | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 50 Years of the 50p: British Military Set 50p | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p | Collector issue | Small premium |
| 2019 Snowman 50p | Collector issue | Small premium |
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the Wallace and Gromit 50p?
Nick Park, who created Wallace and Gromit, is credited with the design. It shows the pair looking out of their rocket's porthole, a scene from the 1989 film A Grand Day Out.
Is the Wallace and Gromit 50p legal tender?
Yes. It is a legal tender 50p and can be spent. It was sold only in brilliant uncirculated packs and never released through banks, which is why so few ever appear in change.
Mintage figures: Fifty pence (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.