National Health Service (NHS) 50 Pence Coins
By Coinsanduk | Monday, 3 November 2025
The 1998 50 Pence coin was made to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the NHS (National Health Service) 1948-1998.
The reverse features a design by David Cornell, which shows a pair of hands set against a pattern of radiating lines, with the words FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY and the initials NHS repeated five times around the border.
Over 5 million of these coins were minted for circulation.
A circulated coin (found in change) is generally not highly valuable to collectors and may sell for a small amount above its face value.
The reverse design was made by artist David Cornell. The obverse features the fourth crowned portrait ofQueen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.
5,001,000 coins were released into general circulation. This makes it a somewhat common commemorative 50p, although it's still a popular coin to find.
Specifications
- Alloy: Cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)
- Weight: 8 g
- Diameter: 27.3 mm
- Thickness: 1.78 mm
- Edge: Smooth
- Die axis: ↑↑
- Obverse: Ian Rank-Broadley
- Reverse: David Cornell
The NHS was officially launched on July 5, 1948, under the post-war Labour government led by Clement Attlee, with Aneurin Bevan as the Minister of Health. Its creation was a culmination of years of planning, significantly influenced by the 1942 Beveridge Report, which proposed a comprehensive system of social security.
Before 1948, healthcare was a patchwork of services, often requiring patients to pay fees, relying on private insurance, or using charitable or local authority-run hospitals. The NHS was established to make healthcare accessible to everyone, free at the point of delivery, and based on clinical need rather than the ability to pay.
The National Health Service Act 1946 provided for the establishment of the service for England and Wales, with separate legislation for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The service was launched at the Park Hospital in Davyhulme, near Manchester (now Trafford General Hospital).
The fundamental ideal was to provide healthcare that meets the needs of everyone, is free at the point of use, and is based on clinical need.
The NHS is not a single entity but the collective term for four separate, publicly funded healthcare systems: NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales (GIG Cymru), and Health and Social Care (Northern Ireland).
The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world and the largest employer in the UK, employing over 1.3 million people in England alone (as of recent figures), with roles spanning clinical care, administration, IT, and more. It is primarily funded through general taxation and National Insurance contributions.
The NHS has been at the forefront of medical advancements, including performing the first successful kidney transplant (involving identical twins) in 1960 and introducing the world's first free breast screening program for women over 50 in 1988. More recently, in 2020, it became the first health system globally to commit to achieving carbon net zero status.
Mint state/Brilliant Uncirculated (MS/BU) or Proof versions, which were sold in special presentation packs, will be worth more. Special silver or gold proof versions exist and would be considerably more valuable.
