Ninety years of Monopoly commemorated with special 50p coin

A commemorative 50p coin celebrating 90 years of Monopoly is being launched by the Royal Mint.

The colourful coin features game tokens and property cards, as well as the unmistakable Mr Monopoly (or Milburn Pennybags) holding bags of cash. The ‘GO’ sign will reveal the M money symbol when the coin is tilted.

The Mint said it was the first board game to be honoured on a piece of UK currency.

Mr Monopoly is surrounded with familiar symbols from the game. Photograph: The Royal Mint/PA

It is being released to celebrate nearly a century of “mischief and mayhem” of the property trading game, which has been sold more than 275m times globally and translated into 47 languages.

Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said: “For nearly 90 years, families have been trading millions in Monopoly currency around kitchen tables, and now we’re celebrating that beloved tradition with this collectible coin.

“We anticipate collectors, whether passionate about Monopoly or coins, will treasure this as a unique addition to their collections.”

A gold version of the 50p coin will be on sale for £1,730 from the Royal Mint’s website from 9am on Monday. Cheaper versions will be available for between £15 and £25.

Neil Scallan, a Guinness world record-holder for the world’s largest Monopoly collection, was given a sneak preview of the coin.

Neil Scallan, who owns the world’s largest Monopoly collection, has praised the coin. Photograph: Jas Lehal/PA

He said it was the “ultimate addition to any collection” for Monopoly superfans. “It’s like finding a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card, that celebrates the game we all grew up loving,” he said. “This represents the holy grail for any serious Monopoly enthusiast.”

The coin celebrates a game that evolved from The Landlord’s Game, created in the early 1900s by Lizzie Magie.

Introduced to the UK by Waddingtons, Monopoly traditionally features locations in London but has evolved to develop editions featuring British landmarks and other locations.

A giant silver top hat will roam the streets of London on Thursday as part of what the Royal Mint called the “ultimate Monopoly UK coin hunt”. Those who post a picture online of the hat will have a chance of winning one of 100 limited edition coins.