Don't get too close to this coin... it's got a black hole on it! (Just kidding, it's safe!) (Royal Mint)
About a year ago, British physicist Stephen Hawking died. His achievements in the field of quantum physics and black holes made him one of the rare scientists to gain worldwide fame. His book A Brief History of Time was even a bestseller. And now, he is being remembered with a special coin.
England's Royal Mint—which prints all of the country's money—has released a 50 pence coin that honours the scientist. (Pence are the British version of cents.)
The Hawking 50p coin features a black hole on the back. Or, you know, what we think a black hole sort of looks like! It also has the following formula: S = kc^3 A / 4ℏG. Not sure what that means? We don't either (I guess there's a reason that we're not all famous scientists!), but it is known as the Bekenstein-Hawking formula. It was a big step in understanding how black holes worked. We will trust them on that one!
Rare rabbit
Meanwhile, the Royal Mint has also just released another cool 50p coin. This one is of Peter Rabbit!
This rare-bit of money is based on an illustration straight from one of author Beatrix Potter's own illustrations. This is actually the fourth year in a row that the Royal Mint has done a Peter Rabbit coin. They first did one in 2016 to mark the 150th anniversary of Potter's birth. What a cute tradition!
As for Hawking while there is no word of him getting new 50p coins every year, this may not be the last time he appears on money in 2019. Along with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he is one of the two finalists to possibly appear on Britain's new £50 note. The bank's final choice will be revealed this summer.
