Coin collectors are being urged to check their change for a rare Olympic 50p
An expert highlighted a 50p coin that could be worth more than £200(Image: getty)
Brits are being advised to watch out for an “ultra rare” 50p piece that could fetch upwards of £200. Nevertheless, it must display a particular date to command the big sum.
The currency piece concerned was struck to mark the 2012 London Olympics. It displays a high-jumping athlete, a design conceived by a youngster as part of a Blue Peter competition.
However, it’s crucial to understand that it only possesses considerable value if it bears the date 2009. The identical coin from 2011 is significantly more common and consequently not as prized.
In footage shared on social media platform TikTok, an expert known as the Coin Collecting Wizard outlined what to search for. He stated: “Ultra rare 50p coin sells for over £200.”
He elaborated: “Collectors are keen to get their hands on this piece of history, and its nod to the classic children’s television show adds a personal stake to the value for many, too. The rare coin features a picture showing an athlete in the Olympics as drawn and depicted by the young viewer back in 2009, but it wouldn’t be until 2011 that the coin was officially minted and distributed to public hands.”
What renders this coin particularly coveted is that relatively few were ever produced. Beyond this, the 2009 edition arrived as part of a collectors’ pack.
The specialist explained: “Around 2.2 million of the coins were minted in 2011 and released into circulation, but an earlier version of the coin was minted in 2009 and is much more valuable to collectors. It helps when it comes with its original packaging that includes images of presenters from the hit show.
“It’s sold for £257 on eBay in the past, which makes it over 500 times more than face value. This is a sought-after coin among collectors.”
On its website, the Britannia Coin Company shared more about the coin. It said: “The designs for this collection were selected from 30,000 designs submitted by the public as part of a competition – the design for the athletics coin is slightly different, however, as it was chosen as part of a Blue Peter competition.
“The 2011 Athletics 50p, also referred to as the ‘High Jump 50p’, emerged triumphant among 17,000 submissions from youthful participants in the Blue Peter contest. Florence Jackson, a nine-year-old, clinched the win, becoming the youngest individual to contribute a design to a UK coin issued by The Royal Mint.
“Jackson’s winning artwork, depicting an athlete soaring over a high jump bar, complete with the emblem of the 2012 Summer Olympics and ’50 PENCE’ marking the bottom, adorns the reverse of the 2011 Athletics 50p.”
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