The English fifty shilling coin, worth pounds sterling, was only ever minted once, in the year 1656. It was a milled gold coin weighing and with a diameter of . Only eleven examples are known to survive. One extremely fine specimen was recorded to have been sold for ã15,250 in May 1989.
A lustrous example was sold in London in January 2021 for ã471,200 ($643,597 U.S.) including the 24 percent buyerâÂÂs commission, setting a new record price for a Cromwellian coin.
The obverse of the coin depicts Oliver Cromwell as a Roman Emperor, with the inscription <small>OLIVAR D G R P ANG SCO HIB &c PRO</small> â Oliver, by the grace of God, of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, Ireland, etc. Protector. The reverse depicts a crowned shield bearing the Commonwealth arms, with the inscription <small>PAX QVÃÂRITUR BELLO</small> â Peace is sought through war, and the date 1656, while there is also an edge inscription <small>PROTECTOR LITERIS LITERàNVMMIS CORONA ET SALVS</small> â A protector of the letters, the letters are a garland and a safeguard to the coinage.