Royal Mint’s rarest 50p coin sells for 200 TIMES its face value after eBay bidding war – check your spare change now
A SPECIAL 50p coin that's the Royal Mint's rarest has sold for more than 200 times its face value after it sparked an eBay bidding war.
The uncommon piece was targeted by three buyers who put in a total of nine bids over the week-long auction.
The mini bidding war over the King Charles III Atlantic Salmon 50p began with the price at just £75.
However, throughout the auction, the bidders pushed the cost of the coin .
This final figure means it sold for a whopping 222 times its face value.
The coin features an engraving of an Atlantic salmon leaping from the ocean and was part of a special series released by the Royal Mint in November 2023.
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The minters also recently named the coin as the rarest currently in circulation in the UK, with just 200,000 copies made.
It dethroned the "highly collectable" 2009 Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot for the first time in 15 years, the mint said.
Earlier this month, a pair of the coins sold for an eye-watering £210.74, also on eBay.
The November 17 eBay sale involved two coins in a sealed bag, both without the Tudor crown privy mark, which collectors prize most highly.
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Christopher Collects of said: "The 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p is the rarest 50p coin out in circulation now.
"It is rarer than the highly sought-after Kew Gardens 50p, which is why it is selling for large sums of money.
"It is worth mentioning that there are two versions though, so you need to be careful when buying it.
"They look very similar, but one has a little Tudor crown privy mark, which is the version sold in annual coin sets.
"The one put into circulation does not have this privy mark.
"It is the circulated version without the privy mark that is attracting the largest premiums, so make sure you check before spending!"
Described by the Royal Mint as “the nation’s most collectable coin”, the 50p has seen over 100 different designs appear on its reverse since its introduction.
Of course, always bear in mind that a rare coin is only worth what the bidder is willing to pay for it at that time.
That means you might not get £111 if you've got one of the Atlantic Salmon 50p coins in your spare change.
How to spot a rare coin
A coin is usually classed as rare if a limited amount were struck, or a manufacturing error occurred when they were being made.
A low mintage figure, which is set by The Royal Mint, relates to how many of a coin were made.
Generally, the lower that figure, the more buyers are willing to pay for it, although this isn't always the case.
You can find out what coins are rare and how they look on The Royal Mint's website.
The Change Checker website has scarcity indices too - these tell you how many of a particular coin were minted.
When it comes to error coins, how much you'll get for them varies from piece to piece.
For example, the HG Wells £2 error coin has been known to sell for up to £1,000 in the past.
Bronze 20p coins have been known to sell for up to £750 as well while error £1 coins have been known to go for £1,000s.
How to sell a rare coin
You can sell a rare coin on eBay, Facebook, or in an auction.
If you're selling on Facebook, there are risks attached.
Sellers have previously been targeted by scammers on Facebook pretending to need a courier to pick a coin up and asking for payment, but it's a ruse and the courier is never sent.
To avoid this happening, it's always best to meet a Facebook seller in-person when buying or selling anything.
Ensure it's a public meeting spot that's in a well-lit area and if you can, avoid using payment links.
Most sellers prefer to deal with cash directly when meeting to ensure it's legitimate.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction. 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.
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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.
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
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