British Currency, Coins on top of wallet.[/caption]
EXPERTS have warned Brits to be careful after discovering “rare” 50p coins selling on eBay for hundreds of pounds.
Coin collectors revealed the true value of the coins and warned would-be collectors to be vigilant.
Some “rare” coins are only worth their face value[/caption]
Coins selling for hundreds of pounds are rarely worth that much[/caption]
Everyday Brits were warned that the coins selling for hundreds or even thousands are often worth nowhere near that much.
While some coins are super rare finds, part of a low mintage of featuring mistakes, the majority are only worth their face value.
A coin collecting expert who goes by the name @uk.coin.hunt shared the truth about the rare pieces.
Some listings spotted by the expert on eBay had price tags of up to £100,000, a massive markup.
One particular coin that is often seen listed with an eye watering price tag is the “Brexit 50p” which is not rare at all.
Despite numerous listings on eBay pricing the 50p piece at upwards of £10,000 the coin is only worth its face value.
Brits who are looking to get into coin collecting were warned to avoid the dodgy listings.
The Brexit 50p has been listed for more than £10,000[/caption]
The Brexit 50p features writing on the “tails” side reading: “Peace Prosperity And Friendship With All Nations.”
It had a 10 million odd mintage meaning it is not rare in the slightest and only holds its face value of 50p.
Another common discovery on eBay is the Mrs Tittlemouse 50p, which has been listed for £10,000 plus.
The coin expert again debunked the eye watering price tag explaining that the piece was only worth around £3.
While rarer than the Brexit 50p the Mrs Tittlemouse 50p still isn’t worth anywhere near what some sellers are asking for it.
Even the rarest coins often sell for less than £1,000 with one of the rarest coins in UK circulation, the Kew Gardens 50p, selling for £800.
Some collectors will pay extortionate amounts for rare pieces but coins rarely sell on eBay for the prices sellers sometimes ask for.
Coins are made rare by having a low mintage, meaning only a few were printed, or by having mistakes.
Currency minted with mistakes is very valuable to collectors since an exceedingly small number of coins are printed and put into circulation with errors on them.
Commemorative pieces like the London Olympics coins are rare too with only a few put into circulation for a limited time.
But even the Olympic coins aren’t worth much more than their face value unless they have an error.
To spot a rare coin Brits have been urged to check their mintage numbers before buying or selling them.
Rare metal coins, such as gold bullion, have an inherently high price due to the cost of the metals they are made of.
Most 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.
