Stephen Hawking coin: Late physicist honoured on new 50p coin with black hole design

12 March 2019, 15:52

By Alice Dear

Stephen Hawking has been honoured on a new 50p following his death last year.

Professor Stephen Hawking is being commemorated on a new 50p coin.

The famous physicist is joining other iconic scientists who have been honoured on coins in the past, including Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

The new 50p coin pays tribute to Stephen, as well as his work on black holes with the spiral design.

Stephen Hawking passed away in 2018 at the age of 76.

"I wanted to fit a big black hole on the tiny coin and wish he was still here chortling at the thought,” designer Edwina Ellis said.

Stephen’s daughter and son Lucy and Tim where the first to see the coin when they visited the Royal Mint.

Lucy said: “It is a great privilege to be featured on a coin and I hope my father would be pleased to be alongside Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin as scientists who have made it on to money."

An uncirculated version of the coin is available to purchase on the Royal Mint’s website from £10.

However, if you want to get your hands on a gold proof coin you’ll have to cough up a whopping £795.