HAVE you got a rare coin amongst your change that could net you up to £145 at auction?
The 50p coin is the most collectible in the UK – but you’ll need to look out for certain designs that make it worth more money.
It’s worth checking your change for rare coins[/caption]
Coins become more valuable if they have a low mintage, meaning not many of them have been created.
That means they’ll be harder to find – but they can earn you more money if you do spot one.
They can also be worth more if they have an error in the design, such as if they’re missing a small detail.
TikTok user @coincollectingwizard has explained the three designs you’ll need to look out for in particular…
Kew Gardens 50p
One of the most sought-after 50p coins in the Kew Gardens design.
It was released in 2009 to celebrate the anniversary of the opening.
Just 210,000 of these coins were minted, making it the second rarest 50p in circulation.
The reverse side, created by Christopher Le Brun, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew encircled by one exact detail – 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.
The coin can sell for about £145 at auction, according to UK Coins.
It says it has seen recent average selling prices on eBay between £125 to £145.
However one example recently sold for a huge £156 – more than 300 times its face value.
Olympic 50p coins
These were released by the Royal Mint in 2011 to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The coins have 29 different designs which each represent an Olympic or Paralympic sport.
Some are more rare than others, but all are becoming increasingly difficult to find in your change.
For example, the Football design has the lowest mintage of the set with just over one million coins minted.
It’s the favourite of the Olympic designs among collectors, partly thanks to the popularity of football in the UK and partly because of its low mintage.
UK Coins says the average price for this coin is £10.
However if you find one in brilliant uncirculated condition, you can get £27 for it.
Jemima Puddle-Duck 50p
This is one of the most sought-after coins from the Beatrix Potter collection.
It was released in 2016, with 2.1 million coins minted.
The coin features the Jemima Puddle-Duck character created by beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter.
Although it’s one of the rarer coins in the series, it’s not worth quite as much as the Kew Gardens or Olympic design 50ps.
Recent listings on eBay have sold for £6 to £9.
One example, however, sold for £52.71 because it was still in the original box.
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
It’s worth remembering that a rare coin is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.
For example, someone might need your coin to complete their collection so they may be willing to pay more.
If you want to sell a rare coin, you should consider factors like its condition, mintage, and whether it has any errors.
If you’ve got a potentially rare coin that you would like to sell at auction, you can contact The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service.
This organisation has a team of experts who can help you to authenticate and value your coin.
You can contact them by email and a member of the team will get back to you.
It’s worth taking a picture of your coin and attaching it to the email.
Be wary that you will be charged for this service though – the cost will vary depending on the size of your collection.
Alternatively, you could sell your coin on eBay.
You can work out how much your coin might sell for by checking other recent listings.
Make sure you adjust your search criteria so you just look at coins that have already sold.
This means you’ll avoid pricing your item higher than people are willing to pay for it.
