A commemorative 50p coin has been unveiled by the Royal Mint to mark the BBC’s centenary. The coin – priced at £11 – pays tribute to the BBC’s global reach and shows a broadcast mast emerging from the Earth. It also features an image of the Queen rather than King Charles – whose effigy will now adorn all new coins. The coins were produced before the Queen died in September and will not be re-struck in order to “minimise waste or unnecessary environmental impact”.
The Queen’s depiction on the coins is expected to create a “high demand” among collectors, said the Royal Mint. The reverse side of the coin is also inscribed with “inform, educate, entertain” – the values set out by Lord Reith when he founded the BBC in 1922.
Rebecca Morgan, the Royal Mint’s director of collector services, said the company was “delighted” to work with the BBC “to create a special 50p” to mark 100 years of the organisation. “An ever-present British institution for most people’s lives, the BBC has had a marked influence on our culture and broadcast some of the most extraordinary moments in British history.”
The British Broadcasting Company, as the BBC was originally called, was started on 18 October 1922 by a group of leading wireless manufactures including Marconi and daily broadcasting began on 14 November. BBC director general Tim Davie said the national broadcaster was “honoured” by the coin, adding that the design “perfectly captures the BBC’s huge reach and impact”.
