Yahoo Finance Coin collectors urged to check pockets for rare 50p worth £172
This 50p coin is reported to be one of the rarest coins in circulation, with only 210,000 released.
Coin collectors have been urged to check their pockets for a 50p coin that could be worth £172.
The rare coin was released in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of London’s Kew Garden.
Only 210,000 coins were released by The Royal Mint, making this 50p coin one of the rarest and most valuable of all the different 50ps in circulation, with one selling on Ebay for £172 this week.
The Royal Mint said the Kew Gardens 50p is arguably the most sought-after.
In 2019, a newer, commemorative edition of the coin was released, as part of the 50 Years of 50p British Culture Set.
But the Royal Mint said: “Nothing gets people excited quite like the original 2009 design.”
The coin was designed by Christopher Le Brun RA and features the Chinese Pagoda, a distinctive and famous monument at Kew Gardens, with a decorative leafy climber wrapped in and around the tower.
The coin was sold this week for £172 but in the past sellers have made as much as £700 for the same design, according to the Royal Mint. With collectors desperate to get their hands on it, it is considered to be the most valuable 50p in circulation
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Rebecca Morgan, head of collector services at The Royal Mint, said: “A coin is ultimately worth what the collector is willing to pay for it, but there are factors you should consider before committing to a price. This can include the condition of the coin, its design, mintage figure and what it’s made of.”
The coin ranked number one in the Royal Mints’ top 10 rarest coins and the Change Checkers 50p scarcity index, holding its place for a number of years.
Commemorative coins with rare designs such as the Olympic coins and those featuring historical figures are often highly valuable and can be sold for hundreds of pounds.
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