50 Pence - Elizabeth II Kew Gardens, Silver Piedfort

The original Kew Gardens 50p, struck in 2009 to mark the gardens' 250th anniversary, had a circulation mintage of just 210,000 — the lowest of any decimal 50p — and triggered the modern British coin-hunting phenomenon that turned supermarket change into a national pastime. This 2019 piedfort revisits that design a decade on, issued as part of the Royal Mint's ongoing programme of piedfort restrike editions targeting the collector market rather than circulation.

Piedforts, struck at double the standard coin thickness, have been a Royal Mint collector staple since the 1980s revival of the format.