Brits are being urged to check their change, as you could be sitting on a fortune you didn’t even know about.
The Royal Mint has revealed its top ten rarest 50 pence coins currently in circulation.
Since moving to pounds and pence in 1971, more than 70 variations of the 50p coin have been minted, including several rare designs which could be worth a lot more than 50p.
The famous Kew Gardens 50p remains the most coveted coin in circulation, with a mintage of just 210,000, the Mint said.
Other rare designs include Olympic-themed 50ps minted in 2011.
What makes a coin valuable?
The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.
Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.
The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.
Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.
The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on ebay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.
Rarest 50p coins in circulation the UK?
The Royal Mint has revealed the most valuable 50p coin, ahead of the 1971 decimalisation’s golden anniversary.
The rarest is the Kew’s Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design.
The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.
The other rarest coins stem predominantly from the 2011 Olympics, with the wrestling, football and judo coins among the most valuable. Only 1.1million of each of these coins were produced.
Flopsy bunny and Peter Rabbit designs which were produced in 2018 are also highly valuable.
These coins - 1.4 million of which were minted - depict the characters from Beatrix Potter’s novels and celebrate the life of the English writer and these sell for around £5.
In 2019, 500 million coins were produced, with three new 50p designs.
These included one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Paddington Bear at St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.
Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint
Here is a list of 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
FAQs
The rarest is the Kew's Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design. The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.
Which 50p coins to collect has The Royal Mint revealed as the rarest? ›
The rarest is the Kew's Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design. The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.
How do I know if I have a rare 50p coin? ›
A sure fire way to know if you've found a keeper is to check the mintage figures for your 50p. Generally speaking, the lower the mintage, the rarer the coin and the harder it will be to find in circulation.
What is the rarest 50p coin in the Royal Mail? ›
Let's take a look at the rarest 50p coins produced by The Royal Mint.
- Flopsy Bunny 2018.
- Peter Rabbit 2018.
- Olympic Triathlon 2011.
- Olympic Judo 2011.
- Olympic Wrestling 2011.
- Olympic Football 2011.
- Kew Gardens 2009.
- An Extra Rare 50p.
Other rare coins in include The famous Kew Gardens 50p remains the most coveted coin in circulation, with a mintage of just 210,000, the Mint said.
What is the rarest 50p to collect? ›
Mintage: 210,000
The Kew Gardens 50p is the rarest of all the 50p pieces, with only 210,000 in circulation.
What is the rarest 50p at the moment? ›
- Kew Gardens 50p - £895. The Kew Garden 50p is the rarest coin at the moment. ...
- Judo 50p - £29. This Judo 50p is one of many coins put into circulation to celebrate the 2012 Olympic GamesCredit: PA:Press Association. ...
- Triathlon 50p - £30. ...
- Football 50p - £75. ...
- Tennis - £6.50.
If you're still not sure if your coin is rare, the best thing to do is do some research. Look for similar coins online and see what price they're selling for. This will give you a good idea of the coin's value and whether or not it meets the criteria for being rare.
What is the error on the 50p coins? ›
To find it, you'll need to look at the way Benjamin Button is positioned in comparison to the late Queen. That's because some of the coins contain a rare rotation error which shows Benjamin's head titled further left.
How do I find out how much my rare coins are worth? ›
The value of a coin is based on its date, mintmark, mintage, and condition. Run an online search to identify what kind of coin you have, then contact a local coin dealer to assess your coin's value.
The coin, a 50p with King Charles' portrait on, sold for £2,500 and the coins are the second 50ps to enter circulation bearing Charles' official coin portrait. The first were the memorial 50 pences, which entered circulation in December 2022, marking the transition from the late Queen to the King.
How many King Charles 50ps are there? ›
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: “We are delighted to announce that five million 50p coins produced to mark His Majesty King Charles III's coronation will enter circulation from today.
Where can I sell rare 50p coins? ›
The Royal Mint's regular auctions provide a great opportunity to offer your coins to a large buying audience. Selling in a Royal Mint auction can help make sure you get a fair price for your coins while being confident they are going to a good new home.
Which 2 pound coin is worth the most money? ›
Which £2 coins are the rarest? The rarest in circulation are considered to be the 2022 Commonwealth Games £2 coins for Northern Ireland and Wales. Just 485,500 and 588,500 of each were minted respectively. They frequently sell on eBay for about £40 and £25.
Are there any rare 2 coins? ›
The 2015 Britannia £2 coin holds a special distinction as one of the rarest £2 coins struck for circulation. Despite the new design replacing Bruce Rushin's Technology design, which had featured on the coin since 1997, the initial 2015 release is scarce and a favourite with historical collectors.
Why is a 1997 50p coin valuable? ›
No 50ps intended for circulation were struck to the old, larger specification in 1997. However, there were brilliant uncirculated and proof coins produced to the old larger specification for collectors. These can be seen in collectors sets like the 1997 UK Proof Set which includes an old-spec 50p and a new-design one.
Which Britannia 50p is rare? ›
The Rarest Britannia 50p Coin
Only 682,103 Britania's were produced for circulation in 1985, making it the third rarest 50p ever, and the second rarest larger (old style) 50p. These figures are only trumped by the 1992 EEC Single Market and the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p coins.
