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The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Warning issued to UK households over ‘rare' 50p coins that are being sold on eBay for up to £100
EXPERTS have warned Brits to be careful after discovering "rare" 50p coins selling on eBay for hundreds of pounds. Coin collectors revealed the true value of the coins and warned would-be collectors to be vigilant. 3 3 Everyday Brits were warned that the coins selling for hundreds or even thousands are often worth nowhere near that much. While some coins are super rare finds, part of a low mintage of featuring mistakes, the majority are only worth their face value. A coin collecting expert who goes by the name @ shared the truth about the rare pieces. Some listings spotted by the expert on eBay had price tags of up to £100,000, a massive markup. One particular coin that is often seen listed with an eye watering price tag is the " Brexit 50p" which is not rare at all. Despite numerous listings on eBay pricing the 50p piece at upwards of £10,000 the coin is only worth its face value. Brits who are looking to get into coin collecting were warned to avoid the dodgy listings. 3 The Brexit 50p features writing on the "tails" side reading: "Peace Prosperity And Friendship With All Nations." It had a 10 million odd mintage meaning it is not rare in the slightest and only holds its face value of 50p. Another common discovery on eBay is the Mrs Tittlemouse 50p, which has been listed for £10,000 plus. The coin expert again debunked the eye watering price tag explaining that the piece was only worth around £3. While rarer than the Brexit 50p the Mrs Tittlemouse 50p still isn't worth anywhere near what some sellers are asking for it. Even the rarest coins often sell for less than £1,000 with one of the rarest coins in UK circulation, the Kew Gardens 50p, selling for £800. Some collectors will pay extortionate amounts for rare pieces but coins rarely sell on eBay for the prices sellers sometimes ask for. Coins are made rare by having a low mintage, meaning only a few were printed, or by having mistakes. Currency minted with mistakes is very valuable to collectors since an exceedingly small number of coins are printed and put into circulation with errors on them. Commemorative pieces like the London Olympics coins are rare too with only a few put into circulation for a limited time. But even the Olympic coins aren't worth much more than their face value unless they have an error. To spot a rare coin Brits have been urged to check their mintage numbers before buying or selling them. Rare metal coins, such as gold bullion, have an inherently high price due to the cost of the metals they are made of. 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.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Rare 50p coin sells for 230 times its value at auction – detail to check in your change
A RARE 50p coin has sold for an astonishing £115 on eBay – that's 230 times its face value – and it might just be hiding in your spare change. The auction featured a genuine 2009 circulated Kew Gardens 50p in good condition. The coin attracted six bids before the hammer came down at £115. The sale took place online and has caught the attention of collectors across London and beyond, where coin fans are always on the lookout for rare finds. The Kew Gardens 50p is widely considered the holy grail of British coin collecting. Just 210,000 of these special coins were released into circulation back in 2009, making them the rarest 50p piece ever issued by The Royal Mint. With such low numbers, the odds of one turning up in your change are extremely slim – but not impossible. The reverse of the coin features a detailed image of the famous Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, with a leafy vine spiralling around the structure. The obverse shows the late Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Ian Rank-Broadley. Collectors go crazy for this design, and it's often the coin that sparks people's interest in the hobby. It even topped scarcity charts in the past and regularly sells for well above face value online. At the peak of its popularity, some sold for hundreds of pounds. Watch coin expert reveal the two rarest 50ps worth up to £195 face value- and key details to look for in change Another Kew 50p recently fetched £134.07 after 19 bids, while similar examples have gone for £79 depending on condition. As always, a coin is only worth what someone is willing to pay, but demand for this one remains high. It's worth noting that this 2009 version is the original and was actually put into circulation. A second version was released in 2019 as part of a commemorative set, but it was never intended for everyday use. The newer coin carries the same pagoda design but features a different portrait of the Queen and the 2019 date. Even the 2019 proof version can go for decent sums, one recently sold for £82 after 11 bids. But it's the original 2009 piece that collectors value most. The Kew Gardens 50p was launched to celebrate 250 years since the gardens opened in 1759. Today, the UNESCO World Heritage Site remains one of Britain's most iconic attractions, boasting treetop walkways, greenhouses, and historic buildings. Prices for rare coins can vary widely depending on interest at auction. But with this coin still commanding high prices, now could be a good time to cash in. 3
