Front Design:
Featuring the twelve stars of the European Union with the letters EU between the anniversary dates 1973 and 1998, by John Mills.
 
Obverse Design(s):
Queen Elizabeth II portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley.
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More about the European Union 50p
These special edition 50p coins were issued in 1998 to commemorate the United Kingdom’s entry into the European Economic Community in 1973. Marking 25 years of the United Kingdom’s membership and its six-month Presidency of the European Union.
Since then, the fifty pence has become the ‘European’ coin, chosen again in 1992/93 to mark two further historic European Union events; the United Kingdom’s Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the completion of the Single European Market.