Who hasn't seen a 50p or £2 coin in their change and thought 'that looks a bit different'? The next time you do, it might be worth taking a closer look as this month one rare 50p coin has sold for 468 times its face value after being listed on eBay.
The coin in question was released in 2009 to mark 250 years since Kew Gardens opened in 1759 and the Royal Mint estimates around 210,000 were made, so there may still be plenty in circulation.
So, what do you need to look out for? The 50p coin features the Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Garden on the tails side with the Queen's head on the other side.
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The 2009 Kew Gardens coin that went up for sale had a starting price of just 99p when it was listed on March 5, reported the Mirror. However, a bidding war soon ensued between 11 different bidders taking the price up into the hundreds.
Soon after, the coin surpassed the £100 mark, which was recorded the next day on Monday, March 6, before eventually reaching its final selling price of £234.00 on March 12 after 26 bids. On top of the £234, the buyer also had to pay £7.65 for "Express Delivery" so overall the buyer paid £241.65 for the 50p coin.
The seller, who said they were an avid coin collector, said the 50p was in "excellent condition" and was "very sought after" for a coin collector. They also noted that the coin had been a part of their own private collection for several years.
This isn't the only coin of this type currently for sale on eBay, there are several of these 50p coins, some listings currently sit between £160 to £230. However, one seller has optimistically set their starting bid at £2,000. Most of these coins have up to 40 watchers on the listing.
However, before you dive into your wallet to check to see if you've been hiding a gem, you will need to be aware of another coin which is very similar but does not fetch as much. The Royal Mint reissued another batch of the Kew Gardens coins in 2019 to celebrate 50 years of the 50p. Sadly, this coin will not give you a three-figure payout but it could sell for between £70 and £80 on eBay if you found the right buyer.
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