Unless something happens to cause a last minute cancellation (a far more realistic possibility since Covid :/ ), then Birmingham will be hosting the ‘XXII Commonwealth Games’ later this year. It is pencilled in to begin on 28th July and to run (no pun intended) until 8th August.
Coin-wise, the ‘Commonwealth Games’ 2022 50p is pretty good. It will never make the ‘Top Ten Fifty Pences of All Time List’ but at least it is half-decent. As we all know, there have been far worse issues over recent years….
For coinies the most important questions about this new fifty pence are these……
Q – When will The Royal Mint pack/Change Checker card be released?
Sure, the ‘Commonwealth Games’ 50p was included in the 2022 Annual Coin Set but not all collectors can afford to buy one of these. So, the release of the coin in a pack/card is actually really important to a lot of people.
Going on experience, I would hasten a guess that this coin will go on sale a few weeks before the event in order to cash in on the ‘Commonwealth Vibe’ in the air. Therefore, it is likely to materialise anytime in early July.
But I may also be entirely wrong.
Q – Will this coin go into circulation?
Ha ha. Hee hee. Chortle chortle. Sorry, I shall try to contain my cynical laughter for a moment.
Of course, there used to be a time when it would be virtually guaranteed for a coin such as this to go into general circulation. But not anymore. I mean seriously, if you sit and think about this then you will realise that precious little has gone into circulation at all picture-wise for a good few years. Why? Cos those scoundrels at RM can make far more money if people have to buy their coins is why!
But saying all that….. the 2011 Olympic fifty pences were all circulated, as was the naff 2014 ‘Glasgow Commonwealth Games’ coin along with the equally pants 2016 ‘Team GB’ swimmer (which the uninitiated seem to think is part of the 2011 set lol). And if the Covid man-demic hadn’t have happened then I honestly believe the 2020 ‘Team GB’ fifty pence would have been circulated too.
© Article and images (except where stated) copyright Mik Smith 2022
