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A commemorative 50p coin to celebrate Brexit has not been minted yet, in what must surely be the ultimate metaphor for Brexit.

The coin was announced at last year's Budget, with the Treasury suggesting it would bear the date '29 March 2019' and be available from Brexit day.

But with our exit date now delayed until at least April 12, the coin has still not started being minted.

Instead only a small number of "test coins" have been produced to trial the design.

Anti-Brexit group Best For Britain said: "Another day, another sterling PR c**k-up for this woeful government.

"Talking up a commemorative coin for a completely arbitrary leaving date was never going to be a mint decision.

"The country has been short-changed by Brexit."

(Image: PA)

The lack of decision was confirmed through a written parliamentary question by the Labour MP Mary Creagh.

Ministers told her: "Currently, no commemorative coins to mark the UK’s departure from the UK have been minted.

"However, as is standard procedure at The Royal Mint, a small number of trial coins have been produced. The production of trial coins does not incur any cost to the taxpayer."

It comes days after Chancellor Philip Hammond squirmed about the fate of the coins in an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr.

"I’m not sure whether the coins have been struck. I don’t know," he said.

Asked if they'd be melted down he said: "Well, or they’ll become collectors’ pieces.

"They were never going to be circulating coins - they were always collectors’ coins, of which the Royal Mint issues quite a number."

A Treasury spokesman said: “The commemorative 50 pence coin to mark the UK leaving the European Union will be made available following our departure.

“Those who are interested in buying this commemorative coin can register their interest on the Royal Mint website as with other commemorative coins.”