Silver 50p Concorde: 50th first commercial flight anniversary UK 2026 proof

Almost 50 years have passed since the first commercial flight of the legendary Concorde. To mark the occasion, The Royal Mint has issued a silver coin.

At the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, an ambitious idea emerged in Great Britain and France to design a supersonic passenger aircraft that would significantly reduce the duration of intercontinental travel. The result of this international collaboration was the Concorde—one of the boldest and most technologically advanced aircraft of its time. The first prototype took flight in 1969. The designers created the slender fuselage and distinctive delta wing with aerodynamics during supersonic flight in mind. The tilting nose improved pilots’ visibility during landing. Four jet engines with afterburners enabled the aircraft to reach more than twice the speed of sound while flying at an altitude of over 18 kilometers. The Concorde was primarily intended for luxury passenger transport on transatlantic routes, completing the flight between London and New York in less than three and a half hours—half the time of a conventional subsonic aircraft. It flew regularly starting in 1976, but despite its exceptional technical qualities, its operation was plagued by a number of complications—high costs, noise, a limited number of suitable airports, and declining passenger numbers. Ultimately, its fate was sealed by a tragic accident. Although the Concordes were retired in 2003, they remain an icon of aviation…

On the reverse side of the coin, designed by the design studio Osborne Ross, you will find two views of the aircraft—from above and from the side. In the background is a map showing the flight route from Europe to America. The inscription CONCORDE is rendered in the style of airport signage. The obverse side of the coin features the issuer’s attributes—namely, the nominal value of 50 PENCE (GBP), a portrait of King Charles III, the text CHARLES III D G REX F D (Charles III, by the Grace of God, King, Defender of the Faith), and the year of issue 2026.

The coin, created in collaboration with British Airways and Airbus, is placed in an elegant case.