Latest news with #rarecoin
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Rare 50p coin sells for 240 times its face value after huge bidding war – exact details to spot
NOW is a perfect time to check whether you're the owner of a 50p coin that could be worth 240 times its value. The rare coin sold for £120 after an intense bidding war on eBay. Fifty pence pieces can often be worth much more than their face value. This particular valuable rarity is a 2009 Kew Gardens 50p. Earlier this week one of these coins sold for £120 on eBay after a bidding war, with 13 offers placed. Other postings for the same coin are currently listed at £177.52, and £161.92. The coin was designed by Christopher Le Brun in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Botanical Gardens' foundation. It had a very low mintage of just 210,000 copies, which means that it has since rocketed in value as it is the rarest of all 50p pieces. One side of the coin features Kew's iconic Great Pagoda. Its base is encircled with a vine while the word 'Kew' decorates the bottom. The dates 1759 and 2009 are inscribed, honouring the coin's 250th anniversary celebration. On the reverse, the fourth portrait of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II adorns the coin. Five 50ps that could earn you thousands Alongside the portrait the initials identify the engraver as Ian Rank-Broadley. To spot the coin among your collection, look out for the leafy design. Another limited edition 50p recently sold for £262. Dated to 2009, the design was the first of 29 officially licenced London 2012 Olympic coins to be released by The Royal Mint. The coin is the same size and weight as a 50p coin found in your change and measures 8g by 27g in diameter. The starting price was just £5 but six bidders fought it out, with one eventually submitting the winning bid on June 30. The coin's design was created by eight-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol. How to sell a rare coin If you are lucky to find a rare coin among your spare change or have one at home, you can sell it through online marketplaces such as eBay. Simply take pictures of the coin, any certificates of authenticity you have and any packaging. You can also sell coins via auction, through the Royal Mint's Collector's Service.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rare $2 coin worth 10 times more due to this detail: ‘Lucky to find'
An Australian coin collector couldn't believe his luck when he found a rare coloured $2 coin. The Royal Australian Mint has released a number of coloured coins over the years and some are worth much more than their face value. Victorian coin collector Michael McCauley recently found a $2 Flanders Field coin and revealed they could fetch up to $22. The coins were released by the Mint in 2015 to commemorate the centenary of World War I and the famous poem by John McCrae. 'I was lucky to find this one just the other day … It's got the orange colour in the middle and $4 to $22 is a recent selling price range on them,' McCauley said. RELATED Rare new $2 coin sparks major warning over $599 ask CBA, NAB, ANZ reveal $200,000 move borrowers making after RBA interest rate cuts Commonwealth Bank, Westpac reveal major payment change for millions of customers The coin's reverse depicts sculpted larks surrounding orange coloured rings, which represent the sunset glow, along with an inscription of text from the poem. The other side features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth. The Mint only produced 2.15 million of the coins, and they were released into circulation across the country. McCauley said he was 'very fortunate' to find the coin and recommended others 'keep your eye out' for them. The coin was one of the first coloured coins to be released by the Mint, following the huge success of the $2 Red Poppy coin in 2012 to commemorate Remembrance Day. The coins feature the iconic red flower in their centre, along with the words 'Remembrace Day' and 'Lest We Forget' in microtext. Nova Coins owner Janelle Hulme said the coins continued to be extremely popular among collectors and usually sold for $300, but values could range from $250 to $350 depending on supply and demand. 'There's always interest. I can't keep them. If I put them up for sale, they sell instantly, they're very popular,' she told Yahoo Finance. Even ones with the red paint chipped off can be more valuable than their face value, according to Hulme, with recent selling prices of between $80 to $100. Other popular coloured coins include the 2013 Queen's Coronation Coin, which can sell for between $60 and $80 for ones in circulation, while the 2017 Rosemary Remembrance Day Coin can fetch from $10.
The Sun
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Error to spot on 10p coin that sold for staggering £380 at auction – is one wedged down your sofa?
A LUCKY brit noticed an error on a rare UK 10p coin that fetched an eyewatering £380 - here's how to spot one for yourself. The coin, minted in 1973, appeared to display the standard design of that era. 2 It bears the engraving of a crowned lion and the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. But, an eagle-eyed owner realised something different about its colour which made it unusual. It had a bronze-brown hue, which suggested it wasn't a typical 10p. Expert analysis went on to discover it was actually crafted rom 97 per cent copper. This made it stand apart from the expected cupronickel composition. The Royal Mint confirmed the error in 1974, and explained: "This coin was produced at the Royal Mint but was struck, inadvertently, on a bronze coin-blank intended for another denomination." The super rare coin went under the hammer at RWB Auctions, in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. It is understood there has only ever been one other copper 10p coin from that era sold at auction. The coin's owner spotted the abnormality around 50 years ago, but held on to it until now. Christopher Collects, a coin expert and popular YouTuber associated with RWB Auctions, said: "We're very pleased that the owner of this fascinating coin has achieved such a good price after holding onto it for so many years. "It's proof that checking your change with an eagle eye can still turn up rare and unusual coins." The Sun recently found four rare coins that sold for a combined total of £423.59 this June. The Atlantic Salmon piece features a portrait of King Charles III on the front, while the back of the coin depicts the fish leaping from the waves. Research by Change Checker found only 200,000 of these coins have entered circulation, making it one of the rarest coins in the UK. The group said only around one in 335 people in the UK could have the chance of snagging one. And it appears collectors are prepared to pay a pretty penny for one of these coins. On Saturday, June 21, a seller managed to flog an Atlantic Salmon coin for £70.59. That makes it 141 times its face value. That was after a fierce bidding war with 18 wannabe buyers. The second, was a Kew Gardens 50p coin, which has an image of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the engraver's initials, Ian Rank-Broadley, below. But what makes it special is the reverse, which features a leafy vine wrapped around a Chinese pagoda. It also has the date of the year it was made to commemorate the anniversary. There are around 210,000 of these coins in circulation making it another rare find. Recently one of these coins sold for £127.08 on June 22 after 16 people tried to bid for it. That makes it a whopping 254 times its face value. But in the past, Kew Gardens coins have sold for up to £700. The third, a coin known as the Offside Rule 50p, is one of twenty-nine commemorative 2012 Olympic 50ps issued by The Royal Mint. The design was created by Neil Wolfson, a sports journalist and features a diagram to show how the Offside Rule works. Around 1.2million of the Olympic Football 50p's were put into circulation, so you might have a better chance of finding one lying around your house. On June 22, one of these coins sold for £17.59 after eight bids. On this occasion, the coin has sold for over 35 times its face value. But in the past, it has sold for £24 so there is a chance you get more depending on collectors' interest at the time. And finally, the Blue Peter 50p coin, released in 2009 ahead of the London Olympic games in 2012. It features a cartoon of a high jumper on the back, with the design etched by a nine-year-old girl. Over 2.2million of the Blue Peter 50p coins were issued, with most minted in 2011. In the past, this coin has sold for up to £223. On Sunday June 22 The Sun spotted one of these coins sold for £208 after an eight-person bidding war. On this occasion, the Blue Peter coin has sold for 416 times its face value.
The Sun
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Rare 20p coin sells for more than 622 times its face value on eBay – here's how to check if you have one
A RARE 20p coin with a highly unusual error has sold on eBay for a whopping 620 times its face value. The Royal Mint coin carries an error as a result of a weak strike during the minting process. 1 This makes it extremely valuable for collectors. It comes after a rare Peter Rabbit 50p coin recently sold on the online market place site for more than 5,000 times its value. Described as 'very nice and interesting' coin, the 20p piece inspired a mini bidding war among collectors, prior to selling for almost £125. The description of the listing on eBay said: 'Striking machines are set so that the dies have a limited travel, this is done to stop the dies crashing into each other in the absence of a coin. 'It's my understanding that this coin was struck on a badly set machine, or a trial piece used in set up. 'Only the higher raised detail of the dies connected, which make the lower details of the coin. Therefore, lower fields are shiny and well formed, but raised detail is absent. 'These higher unstruck areas show the correct dull and marked finish of a pre struck coin as a result of the polishing process. 'The coin clearly shows the round nature of 20p blanks prior to being struck. A very nice and interesting error coin indeed.' The coin collected 13 bids, before selling for 622 times its face value for £124.48. The 20p Coin you should check for What makes a coin valuable? The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas. Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history. The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors. Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design, such as the 20p coin above. The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin's value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer. How to sell a rare coin If you have managed to get your hands on a rare coin, there are a few ways you can go about selling it. Online platforms such as eBay, Facebook marketplace, or trading apps can be easy to use – but there are risks. Scammers may try and target sellers with this trick – they'll say they are keen to purchase the item and ask for money upfront for a courier. They have no plan on collecting the item and are only using the courier to grab free cash. When buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace it's advisable to meet up in person – make sure this is a safe space and avoid payment links. Many sellers will choose to handle cash when meeting to limit the risk of scams. To ensure the ultimate safety you can sell rare coins at an auction. This can be done through The Royal Mint's Collectors Service which has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Exact mark to spot on ultra rare £1 coin that could be worth 500 times its face value – check if you have one
AN ultra rare £1 coin could be hiding in your spare change worth 500 times its face value. The rare piece is worth the small fortune due to an engraving error which is almost impossible to spot. 1 New 12-sided £1 coins were struck and entered into circulation in 2017 but some were made incorrectly during the manufacturing process. A small number have the date "2016" engraved in tiny markings on the rim of the coin instead of 2017. It is not known how many of this type of error coin entered circulation, but find one and it could be worth up to £500, according to one coin expert. In a recent video on TikTok, account Coincollectingwizard said: "These coins usually feature a tiny micro-engraved date on the rim as an added security feature. "However, a small number of these coins were mistakenly engraved with the wrong year, showing 2016 instead of 2017. "This subtle but significant error went unnoticed by many making these coins particularly rare." It's worth bearing in mind, you might not fetch £500 for this coin if you find it in your spare change. A rare coin is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it on that day, whether that be in auction, on Facebook or eBay. It might also be worth getting this type of coin verified and valued through The Royal Mint's Collectors Service. We reveal more details on that service below. Is Your 50p Worth More Than You Think How to spot a rare coin A coin is usually classed as rare if it meets two criteria - a low mintage figure or it was struck in error. The mintage figure of a coin relates to how many of it were struck and put into circulation. For that reason, the less that have been struck the rarer and potentially valuable it is considered to be. The Royal Mint has a list of some of the rarest coins you might be able to find in your spare change on its website. For example, the 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p is considered the rarest 50p piece, with only 200,000 minted. In second is the Kew Gardens 2009 50p, of which 210,000 were struck and put into circulation. How much you can get for either of these coins depends, but one Kew Gardens 50p recently went for £107 on eBay. The other type of rare coin is an "error" coin, made when an issue occurs during the manufacturing process, like the rare £1 coin mentioned above. Usually, there's just a handful of these types of coins in circulation because they were made incorrectly. One rare £2 error coin has been known to sell for £1,000 previously while another 2p coin is also worth over £1,000. How to sell a rare coin You've got three main options: in auction, on eBay or on Facebook Marketplace. 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. You will be charged for the service though - the cost varies depending on the size of your collection. If you are selling on eBay, make sure you list the coin's price accurately. You can do this by checking how much other sellers have sold the same piece for. It's pointless listing a rare 50p for £100 if people have only been willing to pay £50 for it previously, for example. Finally, you can sell on Facebook Marketplace, but be wary of scammers trying to get you to transfer money to dodgy accounts. It can be easier to meet buyers in person and get cash for your coin, but only in daylight and in a public place. In any case, if you're selling on eBay or Facebook, decent pictures will help the coin sell for the best price.
