The Royal Mint has announced it will be releasing an exclusive 50p coin to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
In commemoration of the Queen's 70th anniversary of ascending the throne, the special 50p coin will go into circulation next week.
To ensure that members of the public get the chance to grab the coin, the Royal Mint has collaborated with UK Post Offices and will have access to the coins nationwide from February 7.
The celebratory coin is already being struck at the Royal Mint's highly secure site in South Wales - producing up to 850 coins a minute.
It marks the first time a Royal event has been celebrated on a 50 pence piece while the Queen herself has personally approved its design.
Designed by Osborne Ross, the coin features the number 70 with the Royal Cypher and the dates of the Queen's reign framed inside the zero - on the opposite side is the fifth portrait of the Queen by Jody Clark which appears on all coins in the UK.
The Royal Mint’s Director of UK Currency Mark Loveridge said: “Coins tell the story of our nation and we are delighted to be working with the Post Office to mark this special Royal occasion.
"By issuing the Platinum Jubilee coin into circulation it ensures that this significant moment in history can be cherished for generations to come.
“This special 50 pence features an elegant and bold number 70 in celebration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee year, and we expect it to become one of the nation’s most collectable coins.
"We are delighted that 1.3 million coins baring this unique design will be accessible at Post Offices across the UK.”
The Royal Mint has been circulating coins for the Quen throughout her whole reign while producing for other monarchs for 1,100 years.
For collectors, the Platinum Jubilee 50p is expected to be highly sought after due to a limited release of 1.3 million pieces to UK Post Offices.
Meanwhile, the maximum coin mintage has been set at 5,000,070 coins.
Nick Read, Chief Executive at the Post Office, said: “We are thrilled to be part of the celebrations for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee year and that our 11,500 Post Offices across the whole of the United Kingdom will exclusively start the circulation of this special 50p coin from Monday 7th February.
"Postmasters are at the heart of their local communities and have been throughout our 360-year history. I have no doubt that this will be a real honour and privilege for Postmasters and their teams.”
