The coin, which will not enter circulation, was designed by London artist, writer and LGBTQ+ activist Dominique Holmes.
The usual image of Queen Elizabeth II is featured on one side, while the reverse features five small rainbows — the symbol of Pride. The central rainbow bears the word “pride,” while the others are embellished with Pride in London’s values of protest, visibility, unity and equality. State-of-the-art printing technology was used to create the special edition color effect, the mint said.
“This queer brown immigrant has come a long way, powered by hope, love and this city. Nowhere in the world had this been possible, except the UK. Pride in London feels very proud today.”
A history of the rainbow flag
Clare Maclennan, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said in the statement: “The 50th Anniversary of Pride UK is a milestone celebration, and it is a privilege to mark 50 years of progress with this 50p coin. This is the first ever UK coin dedicated to Britain’s LGBTQ+ community, with colour printing technology capturing the spirit of Pride UK with its iconic rainbow colours.”
The coin will be available to buy from the Royal Mint website this summer.
