Rarest and most valuable coins in circulation revealed – do you have one in your spare change?
THERE is a lot of interest around coins at the moment, now that there are just five weeks to go until the new 12-sided £1 coin is launched.
Earlier this week The Sun Online revealed how desperate collectors are searching for all 24 versions of the £1 coins before the new coin enters circulation.
Now we can reveal the rarest and most valuable £1, £2 and 50p coins that could be lying in your spare change.
There are a number of rare coins that are currently in circulation. The old style £1 coin has been in circulation since 1983 with over 1.5billion £1 coins distributed around the UK, according to The Royal Mint.
There are thought to be 948million 50p coins made since their introduction in 1969.
The £2 coin is the newest piece of silver (and gold) in our purse and, since its introduction in 1998, an estimated 417million coins have been minted.
In the table below we break down what each coin is worth - with the numbers corresponding with those in the graphic above.
In general, the rarer the coin the more valuable it is, according to Changechecker.org.
Test versions, known as “proof coins” are even more valuable with collectors. These are made by The Royal Mint and are struck at a lower speed with a higher finish.
If you have a rare coin in your wallet, you can check how much it is selling for on eBay by searching for the full name of the coin and then clicking the “sold” listing box. Then search for the “highest value”, and you'll see how much the coins have gone for previously.
Rarest 50p coins
Kew Gardens 50p
Currently, the rarest coin of any denomination is the Kew Gardens 50p.
Its status as the most scarce coin has been well publicised, and as a result, many are hoarded by collectors - meaning it's worth a lot.
There are just 210,000 of the commemorative 50p piece - which celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanical Gardens - in circulation, making them hugely valuable.
At the moment, there are Kew Garden coins selling on online auction site eBay for a whopping £120.
And coins that have sold have attracted a large number of bids, meaning they're in high demand. So if you have a Kew Gardens 50p in your wallet, it might be worth selling it online or via a coin specialist.
Suffragettes 50p
The second rarest 50p in circulation is the 2003 Women's social and political union (WSPU) 50p - also known as the Suffragette coin.
The coin, which celebrates the hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the WSPU, features the figure of a suffragette chained to railings and holding a banner on which appear the letters WSPU. To the right a ballot paper marked with a cross and the words "give women the vote".
There are currently 3.1million of the coins in circulation, making it far less rare than the Kew Gardens coin.
Nevertheless, it will fetch around £14 on eBay.
WWF 50p
The third most scarce 50p coin is the WWF 2011 coin. It could sell for up to £50 on eBay.
The special-edition World Wind Fund for Nature (WWF) design was released in 2011 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of WWF.
It features the famous panda logo at the centre and is decorated with 50 other animals, including dolphins, frogs and butterflies.
Rarest £1 coins
Edinburgh £1
There are currently 24 different £1 coin designs in circulation, the rarest of which is the Edinburgh city 2011 £1 coin, which is selling for as much as £38 on eBay – more than thirty times its value.
The Edinburgh design is the only £1 coin with a mintage below one million - with 935,000 coins in circulation.
It was created as part of a series of £1 coins depicting the capital cities of the UK.
Cardiff £1
Another coin released as part of the capital cities of the UK series was the Cardiff £1.
There are 1.6million Cardiff coins in circulation, and they sell for around £20 on eBay.
London £1
Also part of the city series and the third rarest £1 coin in circulation is the 2010 London pound.
The coin shows the portrait of the Queen and on the reverse side shows the four official badges of the capital cities of the UK, with a magnified image of the badge of London.
There are around 2.6million in circulation, and they'll fetch around £10 online.
According to blog ChangeChecker.org, £1 coins will be getting rarer by the day as they start to be removed from circulation once the new 12-sided coin is released on 28 March.
A spokesperson said: “And, come 15 October, one thing is for certain, any collector looking to own a £1 coin collection will be paying a premium.
“So don’t just spend your £1 coins. Check them. Rather than being worthless come 15 October, they may have even more value to collectors – especially if you own a particularly scarce £1 coin.”
Rarest £2 coins
Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2
The two rarest £2 coins - and the second and third rarest coins of any denomination in circulation - were issued to commemorate the 2002 Commonwealth Games, which was hosted in Manchester.
The design represents celebration, victory and sportsmanship, with a moving figure holding aloft a banner, the top of which is divided into lines symbolising the lanes of a swimming pool.
The Northern Ireland version of the coin is the rarest of the two, with just 484,500 in circulation. On eBay, the coins are going for more than £50.
Wales Commonwealth Games £2
Surprisingly, the Wales £2 coin, which is slightly less rare with 588,500 coins in circulation, can fetch even more than its Irish counterpart, with one of the coins selling for a staggering £90 on eBay.
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