People are urged to keep their eyes peeled for a particular 50p piece which could be worth up to 80 times its face value. The sought-after coin from 2017 has been known to fetch as much as £40.
The rarity and value of this coin, according to a content creator known as the Coin Collecting Wizard, boils down to a distinctive minting error that might not be immediately noticeable. In a TikTok video, the expert shared insights with his followers about the notable Benjamin Bunny 50 pence coin.
Released as part of a quad of coins in 2017 that commemorates Beatrix Potter’s characters—including Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten, and Jeremy Fisher—the Benjamin Bunny piece is unique due to a minting flaw. The mistake leads to an illusion where it seems as though Queen Elizabeth II is looking in the wrong direction.
According to the Coin Collecting Wizard: “Did you know if your Benjamin Bunny 50p has a rotation error, then it’s worth a lot more than 50 pence?”
So you know what to look for this 50p error coin is rare all because a part of the design is facing the wrong way.” Further detailing the irregularity, hesaid: “The error that’s left the Queen’s head in a different direction, on the obverse, to the design of Benjamin Bunny on the reverse will have happened in the minting process.”
He provided potential treasure-hunters with a tip: “When you flip it round, the Queen should be facing up the same way as Benjamin Bunny. If the Queen is facing any other way, then you have found a very rare rotation error worth money.”
This coin is still in circulation so it could be hiding in your change. “Error coins are still legal tender, so long as the original coin is still in circulation too,” he continued.
“That means you could easily come across one in your change. Oftentimes, error coins will sell for a lot more than their face value. So this is definitely something you need to be looking for as it can be easily missed.
“So next time you come across the Benjamin Bunny 50p, flip that rabbit over and check the Queen. Good luck.”
Last year, The Sun highlighted a case where one of these coins fetched £40 – a whopping 80 times its face value of 50p. And in 2021, another coin from the same batch was reportedly snapped up for an eye-watering £255 on eBay.
At the time of reporting, a graded edition of this coin was listed on eBay for £312.72.