Experts believe thousands of these coins remain in everyday use
Royal Mint reveals the rarest 50p coins to collect
A rare 50p coin has sold for almost £153 after an eBay bidding war got underway. Coin hunters often seek out particular pieces, with some selling for huge sums of money.
One lucky eBay user has had a bumper payday after selling one 50p coin for £152.72. Kew Gardens 50p pieces were struck in 2009 to mark the botanical garden’s 250th birthday, and the Royal Mint manufactured roughly 210,000 of these pieces, which have the famous Chinese Pagoda on one side.
A portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II features on the reverse. Posted on eBay as “2009 Elizabeth II 50p Fifty Pence Coin, Kew Gardens, Circulated, Rare”, the listing began at £60.
However, an intense 18-way bidding war soon ensued, driving the final price up to £152.72. The buyer was then given the choice of free pickup from Manchester, a £2.26 fee for click and collect, or paying £3.42 for home delivery.
Experts believe thousands of these coins remain in everyday use, meaning it could be worthwhile to rummage through handbags and wallets, or even down sofas. Should you find a Kew Gardens 50p, the first thing you should do is check when it was minted.
This is because another batch was manufactured in 2019, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 50p coin, and these pieces typically sell for less. That said, these more recent 2019 coins have been known to reach up to £80 on eBay.
According to the Royal Mint, these are the rarest 50p coins in circulation:
- Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,125,500
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
- Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
- Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
- Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
- Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
- Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500