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The Royal Mint explained the coins will not be re-struck in order to “minimise waste or unnecessary environmental impact”.
The new coin commemorates the BBC’s centenary and pays tribute to the BBC’s global reach by showing a broadcasting mast emerging from the earth.
It also features the inscription “inform, educate, entertain”, which are the values set out by Lord Reith when he founded the organisation in 1922.
A Royal Mint official said the coin’s depiction of the Queen is expected to create a “high demand” among collectors.
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Rebecca Morgan, the Royal Mint’s director of collector services, explained: “Coins are miniature pieces of art which tell the stories of our nation.
“We are delighted to be working with Britain’s leading national broadcaster to create a special 50p in recognition of their 100 years.
“An ever-present British institution for most people’s lives, the BBC has had a marked influence on our culture and broadcast some of the most extraordinary moments in British history.
“With the obverse side of the coin featuring the effigy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth, we do anticipate a high demand for these coins from collectors.”
DON’T MISS
But the Queen’s death signalled the start of the Carolean era, and the portrait of King Charles III will be used on coins going forward.
The King’s effigy was created by sculptor Martin Jennings, and the new 50p coins bearing it will start to circulate around December 2022.
Coins bearing the Queen’s portrait will remain in circulation and they are legal tender, so it will become common for Charles and the Queen’s coinage to be used over the coming years.
The King’s new portrait will first appear on a commemorative Royal Mint £5 Crown and 50p.
The reverse of the 50p coin features the four quarters of the Royal Arms, and in between are the home nation emblems of a rose, thistle, shamrock and leek.
Chris Barker from the Royal Mint Museum explained: “Charles has followed that general tradition that we have in British coinage, going all the way back to Charles II actually, that the monarch faces in the opposite direction to their predecessor.”
He added that Charles’ portrait is “dignified and graceful, which reflects his years of service.”
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