A RARE 50p coin first issued 15 years ago has sold for over 300 times its face value – and you could have one in your wallet.
A recent auction on eBay saw the Kew Gardens piece sell for a whopping £156.
The coin was first put into circulation in 2009 with collectors often willing to pay over the odds for one.
This is due to the fact just 210,000 were struck, making them few and far between.
You might not always get £150 for a Kew Gardens 50p on eBay, if you’re looking to sell yours on, however you will still likely earn plenty.
Other recent sales of the coin on eBay have seen it go for £137, £130 and £78.
The Kew Gardens 50p was first introduced to celebrate the botanical garden’s 250th anniversary in 2009.
The reverse side, created by Christopher Le Brun, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew encircled by a leafy climber plant.
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 comes second in The Royal Mint’s list of top 10 rarest 50ps, just below the Atlantic Salmon coin which was first struck in 2023.
How to spot a rare coin
A coin is usually classed as rare if a limited amount were struck or “minted”, or a manufacturing error occurred when they were being made.
The mintage figure, which is set by The Royal Mint, relates to how many of a coin were made.
Generally, the lower that figure, the more buyers are willing to pay for it, although this isn’t always the case.
You can find out how many of a specific coin was minted and what it looks like on The Royal Mint website.
The Change Checker website has scarcity indices too – these tell you how many of a particular coin were minted.
When it comes to error coins, how much you’ll get for them varies from piece to piece.
For example, the HG Wells £2 error coin has been known to sell for up to £1,000 in the past.
Bronze 20p coins have been known to sell for up to £750 as well while error £1 coins have been known to go for £1,000s.
How to sell a rare coin
You can sell a rare coin on eBay, Facebook, or in an auction.
If you are selling one on Facebook, try to meet any seller in person in a well-lit public meeting spot and pay in cash.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction. You can organise this with The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
You will be charged for the service though – the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.
You can also sell rare coins on eBay.
But, before listing yours at a certain price on the platform, make sure you see how much other sellers have listed the same piece for.
This will ensure you list yours for a competitive but sellable price.
What are the most rare and valuable coins?
- Five rarest coins – do you have one?
- The 13 most valuable £2 coins in circulation
- How valuable are the rarest £1 coins?
- Most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation
- Rare and most valuable 20p coins that could be worth up to £750
- Rarest 10p coins in circulation
- Rare 2p coins revealed
- How to check if you have a rare and valuable banknote
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