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Design
details:
The Kew Gardens 50p hit the headlines in February 2014 when it was
revealed as the most scarce 50p in circulation. At the peak of the hype
surrounding its value, some coins were exchanging hands for hundreds of
pounds! The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew are a UNESCO World Heritage Site
which boast 4.5 acres of gardens under glass as well as a soaring treetop
walkway. One of the garden buildings is a Chinese Pagoda built in 1761
which features on the design of this scarce commemorative 50p. I
spoke to Christopher March 2018 about his design and process the full
interview can be found on the 'check your change' facebook group. As of
February 2019 it is no longer the least minted coin in circulation, the
2019 A-Z 10p's are. It is often stated that only the coins in packs and
sets have the lines either side of the word /Kew\ and that the circulated
version does not, actually only one design was intended but the small
details on coins can often be troublesome for the dies as was the case so
the lines were omitted after some initial problems so it is possible to
get both versions in your change.
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