How rare pattern on your 50p makes it 290 TIMES more valuable as coin sells for £145 – look closely at your change now
A RARE 50p coin has sold for 290 times its face value on eBay.
The fifty pence piece, part of the 'Kew Gardens' circulation from 2009, went for a whopping £145 after 25 bids were made.
The obverse of the rare coin shows the fourth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to appear on her coinage.
Small initials below identify the engraver as Ian Rank-Broadley.
The reverse side shows the Great Pagoda, which is located at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, encircled with a vine.
The word 'Kew' is written across the base.
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The design, by engraver Christopher Le Brun, was made to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Botanical Gardens' foundation.
The dates 1759 and 2009 are both marked, with one appearing either side of the pagoda.
The coin saw a "notably low" mintage of just 210,000, helping it take the number one spot in the list of Royal Mint's 10 most valuable coins.
"This is one of the key modern 50p coins sought by collectors," according to the Britannia Coin Company, which lists the piece as worth £250.
A number of listings for the coin are currently on eBay, with several auctions seeing bids above £100.
Because of their scarcity, the coins frequently fetch high prices on sites like eBay, with one making £160 after sparking a minor bidding war on the online auction site last week.
The seller said the coin was "circulated" - meaning they could have found the coin in their back pocket, in their wallet, or down the back of their sofa.
The average price for the Kew Gardens 50p is £156.25, however one seller received more than £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.
The remaining rarest coins in circulation are primarily from the 2011 Olympics, with wrestling, football, and judo coins among the most precious.
Each of these coins was made in limited quantities of 1.1 million.
How to spot a fake 50p Kew Gardens coin
COIN hunters have been warned to watch out for scammers selling fake Kew Gardens 50ps on eBay.
This 50p piece has caught the eyes of crooks after regularly topping lists of the rarest coins in circulation.
Speaking to The Sun in 2021, coin expert Jon White of the Britannia Coin Company explained how many replica Kew Gardens 50ps find themselves on auction sites.
Crooks first purchase these fake coins from Chinese websites, with The Sun spotting some for sale from as little as 68 cents each (48p).
The coins are listed as replicas on these webpages - but the sellers will market them as genuine when they later put them on eBay.
Mr White said: “Fakes and copies have always been a big issue.
“Most fakes can be easily identified with a keen eye, providing the viewer has knowledge of what they're looking for.
“Unfortunately, casual buyers and novice collectors are the ones most likely to be caught out.”
Coin website The Fake Pound Coin Database listed several examples to show you what you should be aware of.
These are just some of the known fakes, and it is likely that there are many more out there.
In one example, the bottom of the Queen’s neck is pointing to the E instead of the P in “pence”.
Experts said there was also a lack of detail in her eyes, and too much excessive engraving in her hair.
You should also be aware of an excessively pointy top of the pagoda tower, as well as a frosted or very high relief design.
Some fakes have lines either side of the word “Kew” at the bottom of the 50p, although this is also sometimes seen on Brilliant Uncirculated or Proof coins.
On another coin, you can see the word “copy” next to IRB underneath the Queen’s neck.
The Queen's eyes are also not detailed and her hair has too much engraving once again.
As with the first example, the tower also has a pointy top and frosted design.
In another example, there was no edge or rim around the outside of this coin, and the letters were extra large.
Experts also pointed out extra detailing on the Queen’s hair that you wouldn't ssee in genuine versions.
Another fake giveaway is detailing on the Pagoda tower that is more grainy and less sharp than it should be.
There is also no IRB detailing or dots between letters on the reverse.
If you think you've found a fake coin listed on eBay, you can report it for free to the auction site, so it can then investigate.
Flopsy Rabbit and Peter Rabbit designs created in 2018 are also extremely expensive.
In 2019, 500 million 50p coins were produced, including three new designs.
These featured one of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Paddington Bear at St Paul's Cathedral, and the Tower of London.
How do I know what my coin is worth?
You can compare your rare coin on online auction sites, or The Royal Mint website.
But remember that if you intend on selling your coin, the price you get will depend on what someone is willing to pay for it on the day.
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And beware of fake coins; do your research and seek a professional opinion if necessary.
Top 10 most valuable 50p coins
According to the Royal Mint, these are the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
- 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
- Olympic Shooting (2011), 1,656,500