Could the 50p in your pocket really make you a fortune?
By Matt Cannon
BBC News
- Published
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14 August 2019
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Royal Mint/PA Media effigy subtitle, Two new coins feature Paddington Bear outside St Paul ‘s Cathedral and the Tower of London The humble 50p has been making headlines recently with the launch of a new Paddington Bear coin and plans for a Brexit edition later this year. They follow releases to celebrate events such as the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, vitamin a well as fabricated characters like Peter Rabbit. And much of this informal switch makes its way on to eBay – with sellers often seeking thousands of pounds for the coins. then which are the UK ‘s rarest 50p pieces – and which could fetch the highest price ? Knowing the real number value of collectible coins is a slippery business. confusion can come from mixing up the rare collectible coins, which are made of gold and silver and do not enter general circulation, with the more commonly-found versions made of cheaper base metals. The rarest 50p coin in circulation nowadays is the 2009 Kew Gardens coin, according to figures released by the Royal Mint, which makes all of the UK ‘s currency .
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Royal Mint
only 210,000 were minted when it was first produced in 2009 to mark the botanical gardens ‘ 250th anniversary. Thanks to their curio, they can fetch about £100 on eBay. But you would do well to find one in your pocket, with most now in private hands, the Royal Mint says. If you do think you have found one, it is deserving checking the date. The coin was re-released in 2019 as separate of the Royal Mint ‘s celebration of 50 years of the 50p.
Which sports coins are worth the most?
Coins designed to welcome the arrival of big sporting events can besides be worth a reasonably penny. Among them are a choice of coins released for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The rare is the football translation, with only 1.25 million ever made. They are now regularly sold for about £20 on-line .
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Royal Mint effigy subtitle, The revoke of the coin features a explanation of the offside rule other coins in the series dominate a number of the most in-demand coins complied by money specialist web site Change Checker. According to its Scarcity Index – compiled using a coin ‘s rarity and the demand for it – the adjacent 17 most valuable coins are from the Olympic series. After the football coin, the five most valuable are :
- Triathlon (worth approximately £10)
- Wrestling (£7)
- Judo (£7)
- Tennis (£4)
- Goalball (£3)
And the rarest coin of all ? That championship besides belongs to a one that marks a frolic consequence – a collectors ‘ version of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games coin. It comes accomplished with a matching Royal Mail stomp and envelope. only 38 were always produced. But, unlike its base alloy replica – of which 6.5 million were made – this one never entered circulation.
What about Beatrix Potter coins?
One of the Royal Mint ‘s largest collections of commemorative coins marked 150 years since the birth of author Beatrix Potter. The rare of the collection – a coin that celebrates the narrative of Jemima Puddle-Duck – can fetch about £15 on-line .
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Royal Mint image caption, A Jemima Puddle-Duck 50p however, the majority of these coins are much less rare and much have little sell-on prize. The adjacent rare in the collection, based on the character Squirrel Nutkin, is a lot less rare but can sell for between £1 and £3 on eBay.
What else is worth looking out for?
Coins featuring Sir Isaac Newton ( 1.8 million ) and the Suffragettes ( 3.1 million ) are among the rarest coins in circulation – and regularly bring between £2 and £3 on-line .
What is the rarest 50p ever in general circulation?
You might not expect the 50p to tell the floor of the UK ‘s relationship with Europe – but its reverse has been used to do merely that. The chancellor presently has plans for a commemorative Brexit 50p mint, which could be produced in time for the schedule departure date of 31 October. But in 1992, a 50p was created to mark the creation of the Single European Market – which would late develop into the European Union – and the UK ‘s presidency of the council of ministers. only 109,000 of the coins were made before the decision was taken to replace the larger 50p nibble with a smaller and lighter design which is used today .
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Royal Mint double caption, The rarest 50p to enter general circulation is the single market coin
What should buyers watch out for?
The real value of coins is whatever person will pay for them. But media reports of newly releases and coins being sold for thousands of pounds can besides affect demand, says Rachel Hooper from Change Checker.
Despite how coarse some coins are and the apparent lack of necessitate for them some sellers do try to auction their coins for thousands – even millions – of pounds. “ When the Kew Gardens was re-issued at the begin of this class, necessitate for the master 2009 mint increased as more people rose to the challenge of collecting the UK ‘s most sought 50p in circulation, ” says Ms Hooper. But she warns coins can be listed on eBay for “ well above face respect ” which can creates media interest and an increase in collector need .
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