There are thousands more of the coins in circulation, Royal Mint has said
Royal Mint reveals the rarest 50p coins to collect
A rare 50p coin has sold for a huge £130 after a bidding war broke out online. Collectors often look out for certain coins, with some worth eyewatering sums.
One lucky eBay seller is now likely celebrating an exciting payday, after selling a coin for some 260 times its face value. Kew Gardens 50ps were minted in 2009 to commemorate the garden’s 250th anniversary.
The Royal Mint produced approximately 210,000 of these coins, which feature the iconic Chinese Pagoda on one side and the late Queen Elizabeth II on the other. Listed as “rare 50p coin kew gardens 2009 circulated” [sic], the auction began at £49.99 but quickly escalated due to a 15-bidding war.
The coin finally sold for £130, plus £3.49 for delivery. Experts believe hundreds of thousands of these coins are still in circulation, so it’s worth checking your pockets, wallets and down the sofa.
If you do find a Kew Gardens 50p, you should check the mint date n it. While the original 2009 coins are highly valuable, the 2019 reissued versions, marking the 50p’s 50th anniversary, don’t fetch quite as much, though they have been known to sell for around £70 to £80 on eBay.