Price jumped up and up as the bids rolled in
The lucky seller received almost £136(Image: georgeclerk via Getty Images)
A 50p coin has fetched nearly £136 following a fierce eBay bidding war.
Coin collectors frequently hunt for specific pieces, with some commanding substantial sums. One fortunate eBay seller enjoyed a windfall after their 50p coin sold for £135.58. Kew Gardens 50p coins were minted in 2009 to commemorate the botanical garden’s 250th anniversary, with the Royal Mint producing approximately 210,000 of these pieces, featuring the iconic Chinese Pagoda on one side. The reverse displays a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Listed on eBay as “2009 KEW GARDENS 50p Circulated Condition RARE Collectible Fifty Pence REF 2”, the item had an opening bid of merely 99p. However, a heated 23-way bidding contest soon ensured, pushing the final sale price to £135.58.
The purchaser was then offered either free collection from Cambridge or a £3.35 charge for postal delivery.
Experts estimate thousands of these coins continue to circulate in daily transactions, suggesting it might be worth checking through purses and pockets, or even beneath sofa cushions. If you discover a Kew Gardens 50p, the initial step should be checking its minting date.
This is important because a second batch was produced in 2019, marking the 50th anniversary of the 50p coin, and these examples generally achieve lower prices. However, these later 2019 coins have been known to fetch up to £80 on eBay.