Rare 50p coin sells for more than 300 times its face value – here’s how to find out if you’re sitting on a goldmine
A RARE 50p coin sent collectors into a frenzy after it sold for 300 times its face value.
The Royal Mint is believed to have made 210,000 of these special coins, so there’s a chance you could have one in your wallet.
The 50p was made in 2009 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the opening of Kew Gardens in London.
It is decorated with the gardens’ famous Chinese Pagoda on one side, and the Queen’s face on the other.
According to The Royal Mint, which creates British coins, the Kew Gardens 50p has become one of the most talked about collectors coins in the last 15 years.
It sold on eBay with the title “2009 Kew Gardens 50p Fifty Pence Genuine RARE” for £157 after being uploaded at an initial asking price of £4.99.
Coin experts say there could still be thousands of them in circulation, so if you find one, check the date marked on it.
You want the 2009 ones rather than the 2019 selection, which were released to mark the 50p’s 50th anniversary.
That said, some of the 2019 coins have been known to fetch up to £80 on the buying and selling app.
This comes after a TikTok user revealed the most collectible coins in the UK.
He explained the three designs you’ll need to look out for in particular – including the Kew Gardens 50p.
The second coin to look out for is the Olympic 50ps.
These were released by the Royal Mint in 2011 to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The coins have 29 different designs which each represent an Olympic or Paralympic sport.
Some are more rare than others, but all are becoming increasingly difficult to find in your change.
For example, the Football design has the lowest mintage of the set with just over one million coins minted.
It’s the favourite of the Olympic designs among collectors, partly thanks to the popularity of football in the UK and partly because of its low mintage.
UK Coins says the average price for this coin is £10.
However if you find one in brilliant uncirculated condition, you can get £27 for it.
And last but not least, the Jemima Puddle-Duck 50p from the Beatrix Potter collection.
It was released in 2016, with 2.1 million coins minted.
The coin features the Jemima Puddle-Duck character created by beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter.
Although it’s one of the rarer coins in the series, it’s not worth quite as much as the Kew Gardens or Olympic design 50ps.
Recent listings on eBay have sold for £6 to £9.
One example, however, sold for £52.71 because it was still in the original box.
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