2018 marked the 60th anniversary of the book A Bear Called Paddington. Since that first publication, Paddington has been a part of many childhoods, becoming a British icon around the world and a firm favourite with children and adults alike. The Royal Mint continued its tradition of honouring Britain’s childhood favourites with two official UK coins celebrating the kind-hearted bear that started a new life a long way from home in Darkest Peru: Paddington Bear at the Station and Paddington Bear at Buckingham Palace. The series was continued in 2019 with two new coins, Paddington Bear at St Paul's and Paddington Bear at the Tower.
The 2019 Paddington™ at St. Paul’s Cathedral 50p has been issued by the Royal Mint to continue the celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of the British Bear. This 50p features a design of Paddington™ based on the CGI-live action movie, and shows Paddington™ continuing his adventures at the ornate St. Paul’s Cathedral. We had the standard shield reverse coin, a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle commemorative, Gruffalo x2, Stephen Hawking, yet another Peter Rabbit, two more Paddington bear, a re-issue of the original ‘NEW PENCE’ 50p (dated 2019) and re-issues of four other random designs from previous years, that, with the ‘NEW PENCE’ coin make up the first set of five coins to ‘commemorate’ the introduction of the 50p coin in 1969.
The British fifty pence (50p) coin - often pronounced fifty pee - is a unit of currency equalling one half of a pound sterling. It is a seven-sided coin formed as an equilateral-curve heptagon, or Reuleaux polygon - a curve of constant width, meaning that the diameter is constant across any bisection. This shape, which was revolutionary at the time, made it easily distinguishable from round coins both by feel and by sight, while its constant breadth allowed it to roll in vending machines.
The denomination was introduced in October 1969 with a large version of the coin; it was reduced in size in 1997, with the older coins being demonetised in 1998. The design of the new (smaller) type remained unchanged at that time, retaining Christopher Ironside's Britannia reverse. In 2008 though the regular reverse was changed to Matthew Dent's design; in a world-first concept, the designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together (the shield in its entirety being featured on the £1 coin).
The denomination has also been used extensively to issue one-year types of commemorative coins such as this one.
Twenty pence and fifty pence coins are legal tender only up to the sum of £10; this means that it is permissible to refuse payment of sums greater than this amount in 20p and 50p coins in order to settle a debt.
2019 Paddington Bear 50p Mintage
Coins issued in 2019 have now been in circulation for only two years.