Iconic building to look out for on your 50p coin as one sells for 300 TIMES its worth after sparking fierce eBay war
LOOK out for this building on your 50p coin as one savvy seller has flogged theirs for 300 times its worth.
The coin sold for a whopping £135 on January 16 - it features an architectural masterpiece which lies in London's famous Kew Gardens.
The 50p coin, which could earn you hundreds of pounds, features Kew Gardens' iconic Chinese Pagoda.
The Chinese Pagoda, a Grade 1 listed building was constructed in 1761 as a gift for Princess Augusta of Wales.
It also features a "decorative leafy climber twining in and around the tower".
Along with the markings 1759 - to represent when the gardens were founded - and 2009 - for when the coin entered circulation.
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One savvy seller took to eBay to flog their 2009 coin.
It sparked an eBay bidding war, with 13 eager collectors desperate to snap it up.
The lucky new owner was sent it in a display box.
When it comes to bidding on eBay, the seller tends to set a starting price and buyers place bids to compete with eachother.
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The highest bidder wins the auction and bags the item.
Originally put into circulation by The Royal Mint, the coin brought recognition to the British Landmark and commemorated 250 years since the botanical gardens opened.
Some of these coins have been known to sell for up to £700 on eBay.
The Royal Mint describes it as "arguably the most sought-after".
How rare is the Kew Gardens 50p?
Only 210,000 of these coins were released, making it pretty rare.
By comparison, a whopping 10million Brexit 50p coins were minted.
This scarcity adds to the value of the Kew Gardens 50p.
Its low mintage has helped the coin rank as one of the top 10 rarest coins in circulation, according to the Royal Mint.
The Kew Gardens coin is also number one in Changechecker's most recent 50p scarcity index, a position it's held for years as one of the most sought after.
But it also makes it less likely to turn up in your spare change.
How much is the Kew Gardens 50p worth?
The scarcity of the coin means it is pretty valuable if you find one.
Many crop up on eBay and are bought and sold by keen collectors at auction.
We've seen the coin sell for as much as £707 before, though another sold for £310 after 29 bids in February.
We also spotted a coin that sold on eBay for £300.88 after 19 bids in December.
Plus, in March another one of the coins was sold for £234.
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The real value of these particular coins can be a bit of a minefield as it can depend on demand, sentiment and ultimately how much a buyer will pay.
It's also impossible to know for sure whether the coin actually sold for as much as it was listed for.
How to check the value of your spare change
Coins with rare designs or to commemorate historic figures and events such as The Olympics often attract high values.
Use experts like to check over your change and see how much it could be worth or refer to the Changechecker scarcity index.
It is worth looking at how other rare coins have sold on eBay
Watch out for fakes though.
Get your coin verified by The Royal Mint to reassure buyers that they're paying for the real deal if you try to sell it as this can bump up the price.
If bidding on a coin, check how many others are interested as this can provide an indication of how valuable and genuine a coin is.
This is a good idea to help push up the price too as you can advertise it as genuine.