Rare 50p error coin sells for 600 times face value after three-day bidding war – exact mistake to look out for
The "Lines Across The Face" 2011 Olympic Aquatics piece fetched £305.20 less than a week ago after buyers toughed it out to offer the highest price.
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The extremely rare piece was one of 29 commemorative coins issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate the 2012 Olympics.
It was supposed to feature a clear image of a swimmer diving headfirst into a pool.
However, the error version has lines etched across the swimmers face.
It is believed only 600 of the error coin were issued before the design was corrected and new coins minted.
You might be able to fetch more than £305 if you stumble across a Lines Across The Face coin in your spare change.
Some coin experts estimate the value of the coin to be into the thousands of pounds.
Of course, you might not actually receive this much if you find one and sell it.
If you don't have a Lines Across The Face Aquatics coin, there are a host of other rare 50ps that might be worth a small fortune.
A rare 2009 Blue Peter 50p recently sold for £180 on eBay - 360 times its face value.
The coin features someone doing the high jump on one side, a design created by eight-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol.
Five 50ps that could earn you thousands
The final design was chosen from over 17,000 entries as part of a Blue Peter competition.
It has gone for more than £180 in the past as well, with one seller bagging £262.
What makes a coin rare?
Rare coins can sell for thousands of pounds if the right buyer comes along - but what makes a coin rare?
In most cases, a coin with a low mintage figure is classed as rare as there are few of them in general circulation.
You can usually find out the mintage of a coin by checking The Royal Mint's official website.
A coin may also be classed as rare if there was a mistake made during the manufacturing process.
Coins that have been struck incorrectly are commonly known as "error" coins.
In some cases, there are just a handful of each error coin available to the public making them incredibly rare and valuable.
Rare and valuable 50p coins
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.
For example, one error coin dubbed the "lines over face" 50p, has been known to sell for £1,500 in the past.
Meanwhile, a rare 2014 coin could be worth a whopping £1,000 based on the bidder.
How to sell a rare coin
There are three main ways you can sell rare coins - on eBay, Facebook, or in an auction.
If you're selling on Facebook, make sure you post good quality pictures and price the piece as accurately as possible.
You can find out how much the same coin has sold for on other platforms like eBay to know how to price yours accurately.
Next, you can sell at auction, which you can organise 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.
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