A new coin will be produced to mark the 80 years since the D-Day landings, the Royal Mint has said.

The design of the “tails” or reverse side of the 50p coin will be unveiled ahead of the anniversary on June 6.

On June 6 1944, in Operation Overlord, Allied forces parachuted into drop zones across northern France. Troops landed across five assault beaches – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The coin, has been created with the assistance of Imperial War Museums, will depict Allied soldiers disembarking a landing craft.

It will have the inscription: “D-Day 6 June 1944 Utah Omaha Gold Juno Sword.”

The obverse or “heads” side of the coin will feature the official coinage portrait of the King.

Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: “This year marks eight decades since the D-Day landings, a day which has since been regarded as one of the most significant events in our nation’s history.

“We have been marking historic anniversaries on coins for centuries and we are proud to pay tribute to this life-changing operation, recognising the bravery of all involved.”

The coin will eventually be able to buy from the Royal Mint’s website. People can register their interest for updates on the coin on the website.

Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint

Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:

  1. Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
  2. Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
  3. Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
  4. Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
  5. Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
  6. Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
  7. Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
  8. Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
  9. Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500
  10. Olympic Shooting (2011), 1,656,500

What makes a coin valuable?

The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.

Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.

The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.

Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.

The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on ebay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.

Rarest 50p coins in circulation the UK?

The rarest is the Kew’s Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design.

The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.

The other rarest coins stem predominantly from the 2011 Olympics, with the wrestling, football and judo coins among the most valuable. Only 1.1million of each of these coins were produced.

Flopsy bunny and Peter Rabbit designs which were produced in 2018 are also highly valuable.

These coins - 1.4 million of which were minted - depict the characters from Beatrix Potter’s novels and celebrate the life of the English writer and these sell for around £5.

In 2019, 500 million coins were produced, with three new 50p designs.

These included one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Paddington Bear at St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.