UK
Royal Mint unveils 50p Pride coin to celebrate 50 years of LGBTQ+ legacy

Kalila Sangster
Wed, May 18, 2022

The new 50p marks the first time Britain’s LGBTQ+ community has been recognised on official UK coinage. Photo: Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has revealed a commemorative 50p coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride UK.

The new 50p features a design of Pride in London’s values of protest, visibility, unity, and equality in rainbows.

The coin was designed by east London artist, writer, and LGBTQ+ activist Dominique Holmes and will be made using state-of-the-art colour printing technology to create the iconic colours of the Pride progression flag on special-edition colour versions of the coins.

This is the first time Britain’s LGBTQ+ community has been recognised on official UK coinage.

The 50p will not enter general circulation but will be available to buy through The Royal Mint website this summer. The coin will be available in gold, silver, and brilliant uncirculated versions.

Representatives from Pride in London visited The Royal Mint to strike their own coins as part of the launch.

Asad Shaykh, director of M=marketing and communications at Pride in London said, “It was a privilege to visit The Royal Mint as part of our partnership and see our coin being made.

“It humbles me greatly that the words that I coined for the brand, PROTEST, VISIBILITY, UNITY & EQUALITY – will be on an actual coin, opposite the Queen.

“This queer brown immigrant has come a long way, powered by hope, love and this city. Nowhere in the world had this been possible, except the UK. Pride in London feels very proud today.”

Clare Maclennan, director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint said, “The 50th Anniversary of Pride UK is a milestone celebration, and it is a privilege to mark 50 years of progress with this 50p coin. This is the first ever UK coin dedicated to Britain’s LGBTQ+ community, with colour printing technology capturing the spirit of Pride UK with its iconic rainbow colours.

The Royal Mint will also make a financial contribution to London LGBT Community Pride as part of the launch of the new coin.

The Royal Mint said: "The new LGBTQ+ coin forms part of The Royal Mint’s wider commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion."