One of the rarest coins in circulation in the UK has sold for many times its original value. Eager collectors were lining up to get their hands on the precious coin, which eventually sold for a staggering £175.
The 'Kew Gardens' 50p coin is like gold dust to collectors due to its rarity. Only 210,000 coins featuring the distinctive design were minted during its original release back in 2009.
Therefore, finding a Kew Gardens 50p coin could result in a welcome windfall. With one buyer willing to pay 350 times the value of the coin to add it to their collection, it's worth checking through your pocket change to see if you're luck enough to be carrying a small fortune, Lincoln Live reports.
Read more: The subtle symptoms that could be the early signs of dementia
The 'genuine 2009 Kew Gardens 50p coin' listing on eBay created a 50-way bidding war before finally being sold for £175. The coin features the famous Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Garden on the tails side - The Queen's face features as normal on the other side.
It's always worth checking your change for some of the rarest coins in circulation across the UK. However, finding a Kew Gardens 50p coin doesn't necessarily mean you're about to make a fortune.
A re-circulated version of the iconic coin was minted in 2019, as part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 50p coin. As a much higher number of this coin was minted, it is considerably less valuable to collectors.
According to Coin Hunter, the Kew Gardens 50p piece normally sells for between £150.89 and £161.50, meaning this coin has sold for above the average.
If you're looking to begin your own collection, it is important to make sure you're not falling for any scams. Coin enthusiast website Change Checker has some tips on the best ways to ensure a Kew Gardens 50p coin is genuine.
They say the important things to look out for include the 'frosted design' or 'very high relief' on the design, which can be used on fakes. They have also warned that coins that are 'too shiny' could be fakes, seeing as they have been in circulation since 2009 and many will have lost their shine by now.
Read next
