AN ULTRA-rare coin has sold for a price 500 times its original face value – and the reason behind its inflated cost is bound to entice any collector.

The 50p “true gem” of a coin is a “must-have for any serious collector” which sold for £246.70 and commemorates a historic British event.

EBay

This extraordinary 50p coin sold for nearly £250[/caption]

EBay

Its fascinating design commemorates a momentous British event[/caption]

The rare dime was minted by the Royal Mint and even comes with its own protective safeguarding capsule.

It features an iconic Blue Peter logo on its face and was designed by an eight-year-old child.

Florence, 8, from Bristol, beat out 17,000 entries in a design competition for the 50p coin.

The competition set out to find the best design for the Athletics coin, commemorating the 2012 London Olympics.

The Blue Peter 50p Winner’s Edition was snatched for a whopping £246.70 on Ebay, after 10 rounds of bidding.

The owner described the coin on Ebay, saying it has “superb quality” and a “unique design”.

The seller boasted: “This rare 50p coin from the 2012 Olympics is a must-have for any serious collector.

“Featuring the iconic Blue Peter design and commemorating the athletics event, this coin was minted in the United Kingdom by the Royal Mint.

“With its superb quality and unique design, this coin is a true gem.

They also emphasised the coin’s pristine condition.

The description added: “The coin is in brilliant uncirculated condition and comes with a protective capsule for safekeeping.

“Its rarity and significance make it a valuable addition to any collection.

“Don’t miss this opportunity to own a piece of Olympic history!”

The buyer of the rare dime even commented back on the seller’s page.

They said jubilantly: “Coin is exactly as described and was delivered swiftly and securely packaged.

“A welcome addition to my collection.”

The Athletics coin, still kept in its box, commemorated the 2012 London Olympics Athletics sport.

Its well-kept packaging also described the coin on its back side.

The description reads: “The winning design was Florence, aged 8, from Bristol.

“Florence’s design for the Athletics coin was chosen from over 17,000 entries.

It also added some fun details about the 50p coin.

“Did you know the United Kingdom 50 was the world’s first seven-sided coin?” The packaging asked.

It also added: “If you stacked every 50p in the UK, one on top of the other, it would be equal to the height of 147 Mount Everests!”

The bid ended on March 25 after its seller, based in Colchester, let it go for nearly £250.

HOLLYOAKS star Jennifer Metcalfe has why she’ll NEVER marry her new boyfriend – despite being loved-up.

The actress, best known for playing Mercedes McQueen on the soap, has kept her latest relationship largely out of the spotlight.

Splash

Instagram

TV star Jennifer, 41, admitted she’s finally in a happy place after going for the wrong men in her 20s.

She said: “It’s good, it’s great, he makes me really happy.

“When you’re younger, in your twenties, you’re looking for a unicorn of a man and going, ‘Nah, that one’s not for me!’ Now I feel more at peace with where my life is at and it’s nice to share that with somebody,” she told the Mirror.

But marriage isn’t on the cards for Jennifer, unlike her soap character Mercedes, who has tied the knot SEVEN times.

“It’s not something I’ve ever seen on my path,” said Jennifer.

“I’ve always wanted a child, and I have my little boy Daye, but I’ve never seen marriage in my plan.

“I’ve never dreamt of a big white wedding dress. I’ve had seven on Hollyoaks and if I ever did get married I’d wear black or gold or something completely different!”

We revealed the Mercedes McQueen star had been dating her new man since 2024 in an exclusive interview.

She told us: “I have recently been spending time with someone and he makes me feel happy.

“I look forward to seeing him and our time together is always lovely.”

The couple were pictured together on a night out in Manchester just before Valentine’s Day.

The Bradford-born beauty, who shares six-year-old son Daye with former Geordie Shore star Greg Lake, has not had a serious relationship since they split in 2020 after eight years together.

Jen said: “I tried that celebrity dating app Raya but I never went on a date.

“I prefer to meet someone and get an idea of them in real life before dating, so that app got deleted quickly.

“I am always full-on with work, Daye, friends, family and life, so the idea of spending one or two hours with a stranger wasn’t for me.

“I think you need to meet someone in person. They can look really good on the app, but you have no idea what they’re like in real life.”

“My friends would try to set me up but I wasn’t a big dater. I’d rather be going out with one of my best friends.”

Looking better than ever

Jen’s personal life is a far cry from the racy romances of man-eating alter-ego Mercedes on Hollyoaks.

Mercedes’ latest wedding wrecked by a car crash, a secret affair and a surprise pregnancy twist.

Jen said: “I think it’s my sixth wedding, but obviously not all of them have resulted in a marriage as they’ve not worked out for one or another reason.

“It’s been enough to put me off!

“My friends would try to set me up but I wasn’t a big dater. I’d rather be going out with one of my best friends.”

Looking better than ever

Jen’s personal life is a far cry from the racy romances of man-eating alter-ego Mercedes on Hollyoaks.

Mercedes’ latest wedding wrecked by a car crash, a secret affair and a surprise pregnancy twist.

Jen said: “I think it’s my sixth wedding, but obviously not all of them have resulted in a marriage as they’ve not worked out for one or another reason.

“It’s been enough to put me off!

Rex

Jennifer revealed to The Sun last year that she was in a new relationship[/caption]

ROYAL Mail is hiking the price of stamps again TOMORROW.

The rise will see the price of a first-class stamp go up by 5p, bringing the cost to £1.70 – while second class stamps will rise by 2p, moving from 85p to 87p.

Image courtesy of The Postal Museum

The postal service announced the change – due to come into effect on Monday (April 7) – last month.

Larger items will also face sharper price hikes, with the cost of a first class large letter up to 100g increasing from £2.60 to £3.15.

And the cost of postage for small parcels weighing up to 2kg is set to increase, with first class rates rising from £4.79 to £4.99 and second class rates climbing from £3.75 to £3.90.

The postal service is also set to increase the fees for signed-for deliveries.

From April 7, the cost of a first class signed-for stamp will rise by 25p, from £3.35 to £3.60.

Similarly, the price of a second class signed-for stamp will increase by 22p, rising from £2.55 to £2.77.

Royal Mail attributed the increases to the ongoing decline in letter-sending volumes.

The company said that annual letter volumes have dropped significantly, from 20billion in 2004/05 to 6.7billion in 2023/24, and are projected to fall further to just four billion within the next four years.

At the same time, the number of addresses requiring delivery has grown by four million, further driving up the cost of maintaining the postal network.

Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: “We always consider price changes very carefully but the cost of delivering mail continues to increase.

“A complex and extensive network of trucks, planes and 85,000 posties is needed to ensure we can deliver across the country for just 87p.

“Ofcom has recognised that reform is urgently needed to protect the one-price-goes-anywhere universal service which requires Royal Mail to deliver letters to around 32million UK addresses six days a week.”

Royal Mail added that even with the revised prices, the cost of second and first class stamps in the UK remains below the European average of £1.41 and £1.87 respectively.

How can I beat the price hikes?

Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, has long encouraged Brits to stock up on stamps in bulk ahead of price increases, helping them save a significant amount on their postage costs in future.

He’s previously said: “For years, every time stamps go up in price I’ve suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance, as provided the stamp doesn’t have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it’s still valid after the hike.

“So you may as well stock up now, even if it’s just for Christmas cards for the next few Christmases.”

Always buy your stamps from reputable high street outlets and, where possible, hang on to your receipt.

To check whether a stamp is genuine, you can use Royal Mail’s new “fake stamp scanner” on the app.

Stamps are also available directly from the Royal Mail online shop, but you have to spend £50 to get free delivery.

If you’d prefer not to stock up on stamps in advance, you might consider switching from first class to second class postage.

While the cost of a second-class stamp is set to rise to 87p, this is only a modest 2p increase.

Second-class delivery usually takes just two to three days, compared to the next-day service provided by first class.

However, with a bit of forward planning, you could save 83p per letter by choosing second class postage instead.

Alternatively, you could save the cost of a stamp entirely by sharing your sentiments through a free e-card.

Lots of companies do this.

Check out friendsoftheearth.uk/take-action where you can send a card to a whole group of people, and it’s up to you if you want to make a donation, too.

There is also a good selection at worldwildlife.org.

If you have an item weighing more than 1kg, a parcel courier website, such as Parcel2Go or ParcelHero, might end up being cheaper than Royal Mail.

Plus, using the right packaging can help cut costs, as postage prices are determined on size and weight. 

Pack things as small as possible, making the packaging as thin as you can.

Envelopes and plastic mailing bags are the cheapest – so if you can fit gifts you want to send to a friend into a bag, it could cost less to send.

What else is happening at Royal Mail?

Royal Mail’s £3.6billion takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is set to be delayed until the second quarter amid a political crisis in Romania.

Mr Kretinsky’s deal to buy Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services was cleared by the UK Government in December last year.

It paved the way for the more than 500-year-old postal service to pass into foreign ownership for the first time.

Mr Kretinsky’s EP Group said the only regulatory bar still to be cleared relates to its foreign direct investment in Romania.

Mr Kretinsky made a number of pledges to soothe concerns over his takeover, including a vow to keep the brand name and retain Royal Mail’s HQ and tax residency in the UK for the next five years, as well as commitments to protect the company’s universal service obligations.

Since the deal was agreed, regulator Ofcom has said it is set to allow Royal Mail to ditch Saturday deliveries for second class letters and cut wider postal delivery targets in view of declining demand for letter mailings.

Ofcom said in January it had provisionally concluded that reducing the second class letter service to alternate weekdays, while keeping first class deliveries six days a week, would continue to meet postal users’ needs.

This would save Royal Mail between £250million and £425million a year, according to the regulator.

LUKE HUMPHRIES has threatened to become a “robot” in interviews after an honest admission was met with a bit of backlash.

The darts world No1 admitted he may need a break from the sport after becoming drained with the schedule.

Reuters

Luke Humphries feels fans have misunderstood his struggles[/caption]

Humphries revealed he feels “emotionless” when on stage and said playing can feel like a chore.

However his comments were not warmly received by all on social media, leading the former world champion to threaten that he would not voice his true feelings in future.

He tweeted: “Considering the comments, people not understanding what I meant… Will be the last time I ever confess my real feelings to the public.

“Everything I say or ever do just never seems to be good enough for anybody… as long as no one complains when we all give the same answers in interviews like robots and not our true feelings.

“Then everyone I guess we’ll be happy, or usually will still find a way to moan at us ”

Humphries made his honest revelation after thrashing Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-1 in his opening International Darts Open clash on Saturday evening.

He said he is struggling mentally with the demands of the sport and the constant travel.

The 30-year-old plays on the Premier League circuit every week and appears on the European Tour and Players Championships.

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Humphries said of his recent troubles: “When I’m up on stage, I am just feeling emotionless.

“It’s weird and it’s me being honest to all the fans.

“I feel like my emotions are just all over the place.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be here — it just seems a chore for me at the moment.

“It’s just too much darts. I’m playing too much. I think I need a break.

“I’m emotionless and it is not good for my mental state.”

[/boxout]

“The mould that will grow behind these will be unreal,” penned a third.

Meanwhile a fourth said: “Think I might have to copy you, I just had to pay for a new bathroom I really don’t wanna pay for walls done too.”

“What a difference, looks lush babe, well done,” claimed a fifth.

Someone else added: “Looks miles better.”

Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.

NETFLIX fans could be unintentionally falling foul of the law and risk a nasty fine as the platform ramps up its live shows.

The streaming giant is bringing a re-imagined version of viral internet series Pop the Balloon to the app.

Netflix

Pop The Balloon has been a popular hit online[/caption]

Alamy

Netflix is increasingly showing live programmes[/caption]

It promises to air “even higher stakes, fresh twists, and celebrity surprises”.

But there’s one other big change too – it will be completely live.

Forgetful Brits may not realise that by watching live they technical require a TV Licence.

Being caught without a TV Licence can result in a hefty £1,000 fine.

Fortunately, Pop the Balloon is live at 1am UK time so there’s little chance of getting caught.

But with Netflix increasingly showing live events, it does serve as an important reminder to viewers, especially as the platform has long been considered a safe haven from the TV Licence fee.

UK homes require a TV Licence when watching any live TV or accessing BBC iPlayer.

If you only watch on-demand content on Netflix then you don’t need a TV Licence.

But if you tap into any of the live events on Netflix you are required by law to have one.

This has become all the more evident after Netflix took over rights to WWE with live broadcasts taking place on the app more than ever before.

TV Licensing previously reiterated the rules to The Sun last year ahead of Netflix’s Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson live fight.

“A TV Licence is needed to watch live content on streaming services, watch or record a TV programme on any channel and when using BBC iPlayer,” a rep said at the time.

“Further information is available on the TV Licensing website or via the customer services team, who can help with any queries.”

The TV Licence fee was recently increased by £5, jumping from £169.50 previously to £174.50 since April 1.

Pop The Balloon airs on Fridays at 1am on Netflix.

FANS were left delighted by Roy Keane’s baffled reaction to Micah Richards’ Baller League job.

The pair were on the Sky Sports panel ahead of today’s derby between Manchester United and Manchester City.

http://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1908857261813821472

Keane, a Red Devils legend, gave the lowdown on Ruben Amorim’s side.

While ex-City skipper Richards talked up Pep Guardiola’s chances at Old Trafford.

However, talk soon turned to the Baller League, which sees teams play each other on a weekly basis while being managed by big names.

The likes of John Terry, Robert Pires and Luis Figo are all involved in the tournament.

While Richards manages a team alongside Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

Their side, Deportrio, has made a flying start with two wins from as many games.

But Keane was left stunned when he discovered Richards’ side hustle while live on TV.

Richards first said: “It’s intense. Now I know what it’s like being a proper manager!

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“I do it all for free, I was so nervous.”

Keane then jumped in, saying: “So you’re the manager?!”

PA

Richards manages Deportrio, who have won both their matches so far[/caption]

ballerleague.uk

He coaches the side along with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer[/caption]

Richards replied: “Yes I am! Tactics, press high…”

Keane then asked: “So do you have staff with you?”

Richards answered: “Yeah, me, Alan and Gary.”

Quick as a flash, Keane said: “I thought you said staff…”

Fans were left in stitches by the interaction.

One said: “This is the content we want to see.”

Another declared: “Micah cooking already.”

One noted: “Interesting take.”

Another added: “He loves the feeling already.”

A BODY has been found in a woodland in a search for a missing teenager.

Luke Fingleton, 19, was last seen on CCTV outside a McDonald’s at 12.17pm on March 27.

The grim discovery was made yesterday afternoon off Haslingden Road in Rawtenstall, Lancashire.

Luke’s death is not being treated as suspicious.

A police spokesperson said: “We have an extremely sad update to bring you about our search for missing Luke Fingleton who was reported missing from his home in Bacup by family last Sunday.

“While formal identification has not yet taken place, we believe it to be Luke.

“The tragic news has been delivered to Luke’s next of kin and our thoughts are with them at this devastating time. This is not the outcome anybody wanted.

“Luke’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be passed to HM Coroner in due course.

“We would just like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who shared our appeals and, again, pass on our deepest condolences to Luke’s family.”

The governor of Congo's capital has blamed illegal housing for some of the deaths that have been the result of recent flooding.

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