RARE coins are being sold on eBay for an eyewatering 400 times their face value.
Fierce bidding wars that went on for 10 days straight were sparked by coin collectors desperate to get their hands on the prized 50p.
2
The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p features the Chinese Pagoda at Kew adorned by leafy climbers.
Created by Christopher Le Brun, the coin commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Just 210,000 of the coin were released into circulation making them well sought-after by collectors.
There is also a 2019-dated Kew Gardens coin, but the 2009 version is considered much rarer and more valuable.
One of the 50p fetched £205 on eBay after 29 buyers battled it out for the piece.
Another sold for £130 and a third sold for £132 – which is enough of a reason to check your wallet.
A recent auction on eBay also saw one of the same coins sell for £146 while another fetched £156.
How much you can get for yours depends on a number of factors, including how much bidders are willing to pay on the day.
The Kew Gardens 50p is second in The Royal Mint’s top 10 list of rarest 50ps, below the 2023 Atlantic Salmon.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records – just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
How to spot a rare coin
A coin is usually classed as rare if a low amount was struck or an error occurred during the manufacturing process.
For example, the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p is valuable because only 210,000 were minted.
The same goes for the Atlantic Salmon, with only 200,000 put into circulation in 2023.
A coin is classed as an “error” piece if something went wrong during the manufacturing process and the coin was struck incorrectly.
These types of coins are few and far between making them super valuable.
The HG Wells £2 error coin has been known to sell for up to £1,000 in the past.
Bronze 20p coins have been known to sell for up to £750 as well while error £1 coins have been known to go for £1,000s.
How to sell a rare coin
You’ve got three main options: in auction, on eBay or on Facebook Marketplace.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is at auction. You can organise this with The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
You will be charged for the service though – the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.
If you are selling on eBay, make sure you list the coin’s price accurately.
You can do this by checking how much other sellers have sold the same piece for.
It’s pointless listing a rare 50p for £100 if people have only been willing to pay £50 for it previously, for example.
Finally, you can sell on Facebook Marketplace, but be wary of scammers trying to get you to transfer money to dodgy accounts.
It can be easier to meet buyers in person and get cash for your coin, but only in daylight and in a public place.
In any case, if you’re selling on eBay or Facebook, decent pictures will help the coin sell for the best price.
2
