Rare 50p coins sell for £249 after bidding war – check your pockets | Personal Finance | Finance
As the reign of King Charles introduced us to a new face on our coins, limited pieces began to circulate, now leaving three rare 50p coins to be sold for hundreds of pounds.
While these coins may just look like they’re worth 50p, their value is a lot higher thanks to how few are in circulation. So rare that in one case, the total selling prices following a series of bidding wars for these coins hit £249.62. Rare coins can have unique features and oddities, which make them a huge hit with collectors who are willing to cough up a lot of money to add them to their arsenal. What once was worth 50p could now be scoring you hundreds, so it’s important to make note of these three key designs that could be worth a small fortune.
Atlantic Salmon coin
This coin currently holds the title as the rarest 50p coin in circulation across the UK, as only 200,000 have been released since 2023. It entered circulation following the ascension of King Charles to the throne two years ago, and a recent version has sold for 70 times more than its original worth.
Seemingly just a 50p coin, but in fact a ‘Circulated Atlantic Salmon without a privy mark’ has recently been sold for £77.08 after receiving 10 bids. The coin has a portrait of King Charles III on the front and on the back features an Atlantic salmon jumping out of the sea.
Although it appears that the coin without a privy mark currently holds the most value. According to the Royal Mint, there is a chance that roughly 355 people are in possession of this 50p sitting in their purse, so it may be time to get checking.
Kew Gardens coin
Another design finding itself thrown into the category of ‘rare’ coins sold for over 200 times more than its face value as collectors fought it out to win the bid.
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, the coin was released to commemorate the significant site and went on to become the second rarest 50p in the country. Meaning, if you recognise this design and have it lying around at home or in your pocket, you could be in for a nice reward. The 2009 Kew Gardens coin recently sold on eBay for £160.
Olympic Football
The 50p is one of the 29 commemorative coins issued by the Royal Mint in celebration of the 2012 London Olympics, with each one showcasing a different sport. The coin has since sold for £12.54 on eBay.
Displaying as a ‘2011 Olympic Offside Explained 50p Circulated Football’, this 50p coin is a rare piece as listed by the Royal Mint. According to their site, this is a football-fan favourite coin with just 1,125,500 minted for circulation, and so they are not “easy to score”.
The initial eBay listing attracted four bids before it was sold off to the highest bidder for 25 times more expensive than its original worth. This was designed by sports journalist Neil Wolfson, whose intention was to playfully explain the ever-famous sporting question, ‘What is the offside rule?’ and demonstrate it in an easy-to-understand way on the face of the 50p.
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint, said: “There are occasionally reports of coins selling for large amounts on the secondary market, some of which seem a bit far-fetched, so we want to ensure collectors have the right information and pay a fair price.
“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.
“If you have a coin and are unsure about its history, rarity or authenticity, we offer a range of services at The Royal Mint to help establish its likely value, and help our customers build a bespoke collection. We also have a wide range of resources on our website to help people learn more about the coins in their pockets, and coins they might inherit from family members.”
