Fifty Pence 2020 Rosalind Franklin, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (her effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait").

In small letters below the head, the artist's initials J.C (for Jody Clark).

Running continuously around the effigy is the monarch's legend, followed by the date of issue and the face value: ELIZABETH II · D · G · REG · F · D · 50 PENCE · 2020 ·. Translated from Latin: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith, followed by the value and denomination in English and the year.

The reverse shows the famous first photo (known as Photo 51) providing insight into the structure of DNA, taken by Rosalind Franklin's graduate student Raymond Gosling in 1952. James Watson was shown the photo by his collaborator, Maurice Wilkins, as Raymond Gosling, the author of the picture, had returned under his supervision. Rosalind Franklin did not know this at the time because she was leaving King's College London.

Along with Francis Crick, Watson used characteristics and features of Photo 51, together with evidence from multiple other sources, to develop the chemical model of the DNA molecule. Their model, and manuscripts by Wilkins and colleagues, and Gosling and Franklin, were first published, together, in 1953, in the same issue of Nature. In 1962, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Watson, Crick and Wilkins. The prize was not awarded to Franklin; she had died four years earlier, and although there was not yet a rule against posthumous awards, the Nobel Committee generally does not make posthumous nominations. Likewise, Gosling's work was not cited by the prize committee.

The inscription on the coin, vertically to the right in two lines, reads ROSALIND FRANKLIN; a letter A placed next to it makes the last letters of her names part of the abbreviation DNA. To the right of that, vertically but facing in the opposite direction, Photograph 51.

The letters DK in the lower right field represent the initials of the designer, David Knapton. Value, denomination and date are on the obverse.

Release date: 20 July 2020.

Base metal mintage includes 17,527 carded coins and 51,750 "in trade packaging".

Coins in the Innovation in Science series include:
- 50 Pence Stephen Hawking 2019
- 50 Pence Rosalind Franklin 2020
- 50 Pence John Logie Baird 2021
- 50 Pence Charles Babbage 2021
- 50 Pence Discovery of Insulin 2021
- 50 Pence Alan Turing 2022
- £2 Alexander Graham Bell 2022
- £2 Edward Jenner 2023
- £2 Ada Lovelace 2023