Rare 50p coin sells for £262 after huge bidding war – exact details to spot
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BRITS should check their homes for a rare 50p coin after one sold at auction for 500 times its value.
If you have a stash of loose change lying around, it's worth checking to see if any of these rare coins are lurking in your collection.
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The Blue Peter 50p is one of the most sought after coins from the Olympics
Credit: The Britannia Coin Company
Fifty pence pieces are often some of the most sought-after coins with collectors.
Among them is a 2009 Blue Peter 50p that was minted to mark the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Just 19,722 Blue Peter branded coins were issued, making them one of the most rare coins minted to mark the Olympics.
As a result, they can fetch hundreds of pounds at auction.
One of these coins sold on secondhand platform eBay for £262 last month after a furious bidding war.
The starting price was just £5 but six bidders fought it out, with one eventually submitting the winning bid on June 30.
Dated 2009, the design was the first of 29 officially licenced London 2012 Olympic coins to be released by The Royal Mint.
The coin is the same size and weight as a 50p coin found in your change and measures 8g by 27g in diameter.
But as it never entered circulation it has a shiny surface.
The coin's design was created by eight-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol.
She entered her high jump themed drawing into the Blue Peter competition and her design was chosen over 17,000 entries.
She remains the youngest Brit to have her design used on official UK coins.
Meanwhile, regular circulated Olympic coins were issued in 2011.
Around 2,224,000 coins to celebrate the athletics heats were issued.
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.
How to sell a rare coin
If you are lucky to find a rare coin among your spare change or have one at home, you can sell it through online marketplaces such as eBay.
Simply take pictures of the coin, any certificates of authenticity you have and any packaging.
You can also sell coins via auction, through the Royal Mint's Collector's Service.
If you choose this option a team of experts will authenticate and value your coin.
You will also receive advice on how to sell it.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
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