Ultra-rare 50p once the most valuable of its kind sells for 350 TIMES its face value on eBay – see exact detail to spot
Make sure to check your change for this ultra-rare coin is selling for 350 times it’s face value.
As you clean up the after Christmas holidays, you’ll want to keep an eye out for this 50p which as it’s more than just a pretty penny.
The famed Kew Gardens coin is a collectors dream and has been greatly sought after ever since it was produced.
It was released in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens, a botanic garden in southwest London which opened in 1759.
On one side the 50p shows the Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Gardens, depicted by two swirling vines.
The tails side of the coin presents a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
It was prized as the rarest coin in the UK for a while, with very few in circulation after its production.
Now the rarest coin is said to be a 50p showing the Atlantic Salmon an bearing The King‘s portrait.
If you’re lucky enough to find a Kew Gardens coin in your back pocket, or in the back of your sofa, you could be in for a whopping £175.
For 350 times its face value, it’s certainly not worth spending.
One fortunate seller managed to make an astonishing sale of £750, which 1,500 times its face value.
What makes a coin rare?
One of the most popular types of coins to collect are 50p pieces.
This is because of their large surface area, as there is enough spaces to add new and intricate designs on.
With a 27.5mm diameter, it’s the biggest British coin and is used to celebrate big occasions, anniversaries, and historical events.
Over the Olympics a range of themed 50p coins were printed, with the Aquatics 50p reaching up to an eye-watering £2,000 in auction.
This coin soared in price due to an initial design error, which was quickly corrected, leading to very few misprints in circulation.
Errors make a coin unique which means they will most likely be worth more, as there a fewer of them.
Even without a misprint, if a coin has a low mintage there are fewer of them in circulation and so are deemed rare.
As a general rule of thumb, the rarer the coin the more valuable they are to collectors.
How to sell a rare coin
If you have managed to get your hands on a rare coin, there are a few ways you can go about selling it.
Online platforms like eBay, Facebook marketplace, or trading apps can be easy to use – but there are risks.
Scammers may try and target sellers with this trick – they’ll say they are keen to purchase the item and ask for money upfront for a courier.
They have no plan on collecting the item and are only using the courier to grab free cash.
When buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace it’s advisable to meet up in person – make sure this is a safe space and avoid payment links.
Many sellers will choose to handle cash when meeting to limit the risk of scams.
To ensure the ultimate safety you can sell rare coins at an auction.
This can be done through The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service which has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
Finally, you can sell rare coins on eBay.
Most rare and valuable 50p coins
WE reveal the Royal Mint’s most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation.
Triathlon
Minted in 2011, the Triathlon 50p depicts the same sport which featured in the 2012 Olympics.
There are more than 1,160,000 of the coins in circulation.
With over 200million 50ps circulating in the UK, that makes this coin quite a rare find.
The highest recent sale we’ve found on eBay recently was £30 on June 21.
Judo
Judo is a popular sport that involves grappling with your opponent.
But despite the design, it’s not so easy to get a hold of this coin, of which there are just 1,161,500 in circulation.
The piece was designed by David Cornell after he won a national competition.
It was minted in 2011 and the highest bid we’ve seen on eBay was for £17.95 on June 21.
Wrestling
Wrestling was one of the first Olympic sports so it’s not surprising that it features on one of the 50p pieces.
The 2011 coin was designed by Roderick Enriquez, a graphic designer from Hammersmith, London.
We’ve seen it sell for as much as £15 online so is worth digging around for.
In recent months, one was sold on eBay for £11.95 on June 18.
Football
Of all the coins created to commemorate the 2012 Olympic Games, the 50p Football is among the rarest.
It features an explanation of the controversial offside rule on it, with 1,125,000 produced.
One sold for £20 on eBay on June 11, although it has been known to go for as much as £75 in the past.
Kew Gardens
The Kew Gardens 50p is the rarest of all the 50p pieces, with only 210,000 in circulation.
They have been known to sell for as much as £895 on eBay before.
The design was created by Christopher Le Brun RA and features the famous Chinese Pagoda with a leafy chamber that twists around the tower.
The coin often sparks the interest of new coin collectors due to its rarity.
The highest sale we found in recent weeks was £142 on June 22 with 23 bids