A RARE 50p coin worth a whopping 300 times its value could be hiding in your change.
Just 210,000 of the coins were minted and it is one of the key modern 50p coins sought by collectors, according to the Britannia Coin Company.
The ‘Kew Gardens’ 50p, dated 2009, depicts the iconic Great Pagoda, located at the gardens, on its reverse side.
It’s these four numbers of its date that make the coin so valuable.
The tower is encircled with a vine and the word ‘Kew’ appears at the rare coin’s base.
This design, by engraver Christopher Le Brun, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Botanical Gardens’ foundation, marked by the dates (1759 and 2009) that appear either side of the pagoda.
The other side features the fourth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to appear on her coinage, with small initials below identifying the engraver as Ian Rank-Broadley.
Its listing on eBay sparked a major bidding war which saw its price balloon.
In the end, after 38 bids, it finally sold for the eye-catching price of £138.
Over the years, 50p coins hav been issued in a huge range of commemorative editions celebrating every aspect of British culture, from athletes to authors.
The sheer variety has sparked a collecting craze but of all the 50p coins, the Kew Gardens 50p is arguably the most sought-after.
Nothing gets people excited quite like this original 2009 design.
While 210,000 were released into circulation, almost all of them in private hands, so the chances of coming across one in your change are unfortunately slim.
Demand for the 50p denomination was not high at the time of release into circulation which explains the low mintage of this particular design, according to The Royal Mint.
The Kew Gardens 50p is not alone in being worth much more than its face value.
A misprinted ‘Aquatics’ 50p coin, commissioned for the 2012 Olympics, sold for £3,766 recently.
There are thought to be 600 pieces of the coins misprinted in 2011 ahead of the London celebrations with each being worth more than just a pretty penny.
These coins were printed with lines, mimicking water ripples, over the swimmers‘ head whereas her face was originally designed to be more visible.
The image was quickly changed when the Royal Mint modified the design, leaving only a few of these original coins in circulation.
This slight distortion has collectors battling over the limited edition piece, with one of the highest bidder spending £3,766 to take the precious coin home.
In another case, a 50p coin, which is the rarest of its type to enter circulation, was listed for £29 on eBay earlier this week.
The coin commemorates the UK’s presidency of the European Council of Ministers, and the completion of the Single Market, and is marked with the years 1992 and 1993.
WE reveal the Royal Mint’s most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation.
Triathlon
Minted in 2011, the Triathlon 50p depicts the same sport which featured in the 2012 Olympics.
There are more than 1,160,000 of the coins in circulation.
With over 200million 50ps circulating in the UK, that makes this coin quite a rare find.
The highest recent sale we’ve found on eBay recently was £30 on June 21.
Judo
Judo is a popular sport that involves grappling with your opponent.
But despite the design, it’s not so easy to get a hold of this coin, of which there are just 1,161,500 in circulation.
The piece was designed by David Cornell after he won a national competition.
It was minted in 2011 and the highest bid we’ve seen on eBay was for £17.95 on June 21.
Wrestling
Wrestling was one of the first Olympic sports so it’s not surprising that it features on one of the 50p pieces.
The 2011 coin was designed by Roderick Enriquez, a graphic designer from Hammersmith, London.
We’ve seen it sell for as much as £15 online so is worth digging around for.
In recent months, one was sold on eBay for £11.95 on June 18.
Football
Of all the coins created to commemorate the 2012 Olympic Games, the 50p Football is among the rarest.
It features an explanation of the controversial offside rule on it, with 1,125,000 produced.
One sold for £20 on eBay on June 11, although it has been known to go for as much as £75 in the past.
Kew Gardens
The Kew Gardens 50p is the rarest of all the 50p pieces, with only 210,000 in circulation.
They have been known to sell for as much as £895 on eBay before.
The design was created by Christopher Le Brun RA and features the famous Chinese Pagoda with a leafy chamber that twists around the tower.
The coin often sparks the interest of new coin collectors due to its rarity.
The highest sale we found in recent weeks was £142 on June 22 with 23 bids.
