A RARE 50p coin has just sold for over 240 times its face value – and you might have one without even knowing.
A 2019 Kew Gardens 50p went under the hammer on eBay for a whopping £122.09 – 244 times its face value.
The coin originally released in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens[/caption]
It features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew Gardens, wrapped in swirling vines[/caption]
The coin, which attracted 13 bids, is one of the most sought-after pieces among coin collectors.
The Royal Mint, the official maker of British coins, regularly puts limited edition pieces into general circulation.
In some cases, extremely rare 50p pieces have sold for a whopping £950.
According to The Royal Mint, the Kew Gardens 50p has become one of the most talked about collectors’ coins in the last 15 years.
It was originally released in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the opening of Kew Gardens in London.
Just 210,000 of these coins were put into circulation, making them incredibly rare.
The reverse side, created by Christopher Le Brun, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew encircled by one exact detail – a leafy climber plant.
On the other side, it shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Over the years, demand for the coin has skyrocketed, with some selling for as much as £707.
For a time, it was considered the rarest 50p coin in the UK due to its low circulation.
However, a new contender has taken its place – a 50p featuring an Atlantic Salmon and bearing King Charles III’s portrait.
Collectors are always on the lookout for the Kew Gardens 50p, and prices continue to climb.
If you think you might have one, it’s worth checking its condition before selling.
Coins in pristine, uncirculated condition tend to fetch the highest prices.
You can look for similar listings on eBay to get an idea of how much yours could be worth.
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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
