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Three-word phrase on rare Christmas 50p which reveals whether it’s worth £500
Check out some of the rarest 50ps in circulation in our video
A THREE-WORD phrase on a rare 50p could make it worth up to £500 - 1,000 times its face value.
The Isle of Man 2008 Snowman piece features the iconic character from the 1982 short film and is a re-issue of a 2003 coin.
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But it is thought only around 30,000 of both the pieces were struck and put into circulation, making them both highly sought after.
Find the 2008 design in your spare change and you could sell it on for up to £500.
That's according to YouTuber and expert at The Britannia Coin Company, Christopher Collects.
Christopher said three words on the 2008 coin tell you it's the rare Isle of Man Snowman piece too.
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He previously told The Sun: "This Christmas coin features the Snowman and James, the little boy who is taken on an adventure.
"The other side features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the words ‘Isle of Man’ around the bust."
Bear in mind, the 2003 coin also has the words "Isle of Man" around its edge, but you can tell the difference because it also has "2003" printed on the bottom.
How to spot if your coin is rare
The most valuable and rare coins are usually the ones with low mintage numbers or an error.
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A mintage number relates to how many of a certain coin were made, so the lower the number, the rarer and, generally, the more valuable a coin is.
Examples of some low mintage coins include The Single Market 50p which has been known to sell for £44 and the Kew Gardens 50p which has fetched £245 previously.
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Meanwhile, error coins are pieces that were incorrectly struck during the manufacturing process.
The ultra-rare "lines over face" 50p error coin has been known to sell for £1,500 at auction.
Other examples include a rare 25p coin which looks like a 20p coin that has sold for £1,700.
How to sell a rare coin
There are three ways you can sell rare coins - on eBay, Facebook, or in an auction.
If you're selling on Facebook, there are risks attached.
Some sellers have previously been targeted by scammers who say they want to buy a rare note or coin and ask for money up front to pay for a courier to pick it up.
But the courier is never actually sent and you're left out of pocket.
Rather than doing this, it's always best to meet a Facebook seller in person when buying or selling a rare note or coin.
Ensure it's a public meeting spot that's in a well-lit area and if you can, avoid using payment links.
Next, you can sell at auction, which is generally the safest option.
You can organise this with The Royal Mint's Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
You will be charged for the service though - the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.
You can also sell rare coins on eBay.
But always bear in mind, you will only make what the buyer is willing to pay at that time.
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You can search for the same note or coin as you have to see how much the same one has sold for on the website previously.
This can help give you an indication of how much you should sell it for.
What are the most rare and valuable coins?
- Five rarest coins - do you have one?
- The 13 most valuable £2 coins in circulation
- How valuable are the rarest £1 coins?
- Most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation
- Rare and most valuable 20p coins that could be worth up to £750
- Rarest 10p coins in circulation
- Rare 2p coins revealed
- How to check if you have a rare and valuable banknote
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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