Royal Mint Celebrates 90 Years of Monopoly

A colourful new 50 pence coin features familiar symbols from the board game.

Credit: Royal Mint

The coin features game tokens and property cards, as well as the unmistakable Mr Monopoly (or Milburn Pennybags) holding bags of cash, and the Mint says it is the first board game to be honoured on a piece of UK currency. It is being released to celebrate nearly a century of “mischief and mayhem” of the property trading game.

The game first launched in 1935 and has been translated into 47 languages and sold more than 275 million copies worldwide. It is estimated to have been played by one billion people and the game's distinctive paper currency has been described as the most printed money in the world.

Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said: “For nearly 90 years, families have been trading millions in Monopoly currency around kitchen tables, and now we’re celebrating that beloved tradition with this collectible coin. We anticipate collectors, whether passionate about Monopoly or coins, will treasure this as a unique addition to their collections.”

However, you won't find one of these special 50 pence pieces showing up in your pocket any time soon though, as the coins are not going into circulation. Instead, to get one, you have to buy it in a special collectors pack.

The commemorative coin, which is available in silver and in gold, costs a bit more than you might expect. Even though it looks just like a 50p, prices for the coin start from £15, with a gold version setting you back a whopping £1,730 - all available from the Royal Mint’s website from 9am on Monday.