Rishi Sunak holding the Diversity Built Britain 50p coin piece released by The Royal Mint to recognise and celebrate diversity in Britain / HM Treasury
What is the background to the Diversity Built 50p Coin?
The Diversity Built Britain 50p is a coin issued by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to celebrate the contribution of ethnic minorities in the making of Britain.
The launch of the coin was followed by a “We Too Built Britain” campaign, designed to emphasise and pay a tribute to the role of minority groups in building Britain, while also campaigning for their representation in legal tender, statues, signage, artwork and civic symbols.
Rishi Sunak himself said “I have seen first-hand the contribution made by ethnic minority communities to Britain’s history. That is why I backed the ‘We Too Built Britain’ campaign and requested that the Royal Mint introduced this coin to celebrate it.”
When was it issued?
The coin entered circulation in October 2020.
Who was the coin designed by?
While the Diversity Built Britain 50p coin was commissioned by Rishi Sunak, it was designed by Dominique Evans, a senior coin designer at The Royal Mint.
Evans studied graphic design at the University of Briton, later becoming a graphic designer for various companies, such as The Petersen Partnership.
[Read: You Might Own One of Britain’s Rarest 50p Coins]
She later joined The Royal Mint in 2004 and has said on her LinkedIn that “for over 17 years, I have brought my experience and enthusiasm to my design role at The Royal mint, bringing to life the rich and interesting stories behind coins and medals.”
She previously designed the Sapphire Coronation for the Queen, as well as coins commemorating Jane Austin and VE Day.
What does the design of the Diversity Built Britain 50p coin represent?
The face of the coin shows a geodome, with the words “DIVERSITY BUILT BRITAIN”.
Speaking to The Royal Mint, Evans said, “A shape that seemed appropriate was the geodome, a sphere made up of a series of interconnecting lines and triangles that form a network, each part as important as the other in creating a symbol of connection and strength.”
The design emphasises the interconnectedness of different people and communities, the strength of the ties between them and how they can come together as a whole.
What is its circulation?
According to Change Checker, the Diversity Built Britain 50p coin has a circulating mintage of 10,300,000.
How scarce is the coin?
Given its circulating mintage of 10,300,000, the Change Checker’s scarcity index lists the Diversity Built Britain 50p coin as a common coin, with a low scarcity.
This is because scarcity relates to consumer demand for the coin, and because this is a common coin with a high circulation, it will be available to get easily.
How much is the Diversity Built Britain 50p coin worth?
Because of its low scarcity, the Diversity Built Britain 50p coin isn’t generally as valuable as you think.
Change Checker values a copy of the coin at £4.50, however, eBay shows the coin selling for a price between £2.55 and £15,000.
