Proof Gold 50p – 1918 Representation of the People Act 2018
Description This proof gold 50p, marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of the Representation of the People Act 1918 through Parliament. This was considered one of the UK’s greatest milestones for freedom and democracy. The right to vote was originally based on gender and traditional rules of property and land ownership, meaning only a small proportion of men had a political vote. Women were completely excluded and therefore only 29% of the adult population had the right to vote before 1918. For many years groups had been appealing for reform, the most famous groups of women were known as ‘suffragettes’. This and the First World War helped call for change after the struggle and sacrifice of so many men and women. On 19 June 1917, the section of the Representation of the People Act, which gave women a vote, was passed at the House of Commons by a majority of 385 to 55. Though it took another 10 years for women to gain true political equality, the Act became the foundation of the democratic freedom the UK sees today. The reverse of the coin features a queue of British people, where they are waiting in a line to cast their votes at the ballot box. A strong woman starts the queue, followed by a soldier, working-class man and finally a suffragette. Their clothing represents different classes of society. The obverse of the coin features Jody Clark’s portrait of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The coin comes in a plastic capsule, along with original Royal Mint boxes, informative booklet and certificate of authenticity. These coins benefit from being Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Free and VAT free. All UK gold and silver bullion coins manufactured by the Royal Mint are legal tender and are exempt from Capital Gains Tax. All of our proof gold coins and sets are verified for authenticity by our experienced team. Any coins that fall short of our quality standards are not re-sold. As members of the [BNTA](http://www.bnta.net/) we ensure that our reputation as a reputable dealer of gold and silver coins and bars is upheld, whether a purchase is for our “best price” or brand new coins. Our range of proof 50p coins can be found [here](https://www.atsbullion.com/product-category/gold-bullion/gold-coins/proof-5-2-50p-coins/).