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The Royal Mint has released a special edition 50p coin to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of World War II. The commemorative coins went on sale on May 1st on the Royal Mint's website.
To mark the 80th anniversary of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces, the Royal Mint will strike a special edition 50p coin in gold to commemorate today (May 8, 2025).
These unique gold coins,costing £1,725 apiece, and have already sold out. However, the standard version of the VE Day coin remains available to purchase online, starting from £14.50.
All coins are sold with informative packaging that details the incredible events of VE Day with tributes to those who made it possible.
Royal Mint has paid tribute to a design from the late John Mills, who originally helped to craft a commemorative coin for the 50th anniversary in 1995
ROYAL MINT PRESS OFFICE
On the reverse of the coin, the Royal Mint has included a "dove of peace" design by the late John Mills, paying tribute to a design that first appeared on a £2 coin created back in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII. It also features the inscription Peace Goodwill on the coin.
A 10-coin VE Day 80th anniversary set is also available, priced at £1,640.
To celebrate the launch, the Royal Mint welcomed guests from the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans to its South Wales site. Among them were 98-year-old Ron Horsey and 101-year-old Richard Pelzer, both from Swansea and veterans of the Royal Engineers.
The veterans were given a behind-the-scenes tour and invited to take part in the coin-striking process.
Horsey said: "To be able to strike this design representing peace on to a coin all these years later is truly moving. I hope this coin reminds people of the freedom we enjoy today and the cost at which it came."
On the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a gold Proof edition of the coin will be struck by the Royal Mint, featuring a special '80' privy mark
ROYAL MINT PRESS OFFICE
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said: "The VE Day coin pays tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of the generation who secured peace in Europe in May 1945 and it was fitting to welcome Ron and Richard to strike one of the first coins."
She added that the 2025 annual set brings together "a special selection of commemorative coins" that have been highly anticipated by collectors.
The Royal Mint is known for commemorating key moments in British history through special coin releases. Recent additions include a 50p coin celebrating 60 years of the Red Arrows, a 'Stories of the Second World War' 50p coin, a tribute to Sir Winston Churchill with his iconic 'We Shall Never Surrender' words engraved, and a D-Day 80th anniversary coin released last year.
The Mint has also unveiled its 2025 annual coin set featuring five new commemorative designs, including a £5 coin marking 125 years since the birth of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The collection includes two 50p coins, two £2 coins and the £5 coin, with prices starting from £39.50.
There are also numerous coins that pay tribute to Britain's longest reigning Monarch, Elizabeth II.
The commemorative sets will be available in various precious metal and base proof finishes via the Royal Mint websiteROYAL MINT PRESS OFFICE
For those who don't know, The Royal Mint is the official manufacturer of all British coins.
Located in Llantrisant, Wales, it's owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclusive contract to supply the nation's coinage.
Since 2018, faced with the steady decline of cash in favour of contactless card payments and tap-to-pay solutions on smartphones, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, the company pivoted and started to invest in precious metals, historic coins, and other collectibles.
The shake-up to its core business has worked — with an operating profit of £12.7 million returned in 2021. With business booming again, The Royal Mint started to build a new manufacturing plant in South Wales to recover precious metals from electronic waste, like smartphones and other modern electronics.
It's now using this sustainably sourced gold in a new jewellery division – known as 886, by The Royal Mint – named in celebration of its symbolic founding date. As well as limited edition runs, commemorative coins, and jewellery, The Royal Mint hopes to appeal to newcomers and collectors alike.
