A rare 50p coin has sold for more than £122 following a fierce bidding war on eBay, and there’s a chance you could have one sitting in your wallet right now.
Collectors are known to pay substantial sums for certain coins, with some fetching eye-watering prices.
This particular coin is amongst the rarest in Britain, and while its face value is just 50p, experts value it at around £145, meaning this eBay seller may have actually missed out on a little extra cash.
The Royal Mint is believed to have minted approximately 210,000 of these coins, which were released in 2009 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens.
One side of the coin displays the iconic Chinese Pagoda from the gardens, whilst the reverse bears the late Queen’s portrait. The coin appeared on eBay with the listing “2009 KEW GARDENS 50 p BRITISH CIRCULATED COIN RARE”.
Starting at just 99p, a heated 41-way bidding war pushed the price higher and higher, ultimately reaching a final sale price of £122.51. The buyer will also need to cover £3.75 in postage costs.
Experts believe hundreds of thousands of Kew Gardens 50p coins remain in circulation throughout the country, so one might be lurking amongst your loose change.
Should you stumble upon one in your wallet, money box, or beneath the cushions, the initial step is to check the date stamped on it.
This is due to the Royal Mint releasing another batch of these coins in 2019 to commemorate 50 years of the 50p, and this version typically doesn’t command as high a price.
However, these coins have been known to fetch up to £80 on eBay, so it could still be quite profitable to list it for sale.