Fifty Pence 2020 Dinosaurs - Iguanodon, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

The British fifty pence (50p) coin - often pronounced as "fifty pee" - is a unit of currency equalling one half of a Pound Sterling. It is a seven-sided coin formed as an equilateral-curve heptagon, or Reuleaux polygon - a curve of constant width, meaning that the diameter is constant across any bisection. This shape, which was revolutionary at the time of its introduction, makes it easily distinguishable from round coins both by feel and by sight, while its constant breadth allows it to roll in vending machines.

The first UK Fifty Pence coin was issued in 1969 with the classic Britannia reverse design by Christopher Ironside, which was superseded in 2008 by the Matthew Dent design for circulation coins.The denomination is also extensively used to issue circulating commemorative coins.

Beginning in 2009, the Royal Mint started issuing 50 pence coins for collectors - such as this one - which are not meant to be released in circulation, so are classified as Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT).

This is the second coin in the Dinosauria series released by the Royal Mint, which is part of Tales of the Earth collection. It celebrates the discovery in 1825 of the Iguanodon by Gideon Mantell, an English obstetrician, geologist and palaeontologist. His attempts to reconstruct the structure and life of Iguanodon began the scientific study of dinosaurs: in 1822 he was responsible for the discovery (and the eventual identification in a paper published in 1825) of the first fossil teeth, and later much of the skeleton, of Iguanodon. Mantell's further work on the Cretaceous of southern England was also important.

No coins of this type were released into circulation.