Rare 2012 Olympics Table Tennis 50p coin worth more than face value

Checking your change could be more lucrative than you think, especially with rare coins in circulation that might just turn out to be a small treasure, reports the Mirror.

Commemorative coins have always been a collector's delight, and the price tags attached to some of them are enough to pique anyone's interest in starting a collection. One such coin from the London 2012 Olympics is now valued at much more than its original worth.

The 2012 summer games left a lasting legacy on London, and many Brits may have collected coins from the Royal Mint's special release. In 2011, to celebrate the upcoming games, an impressive set of 29 coins was issued.

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Among these, certain coins have become highly sought after by collectors, like the football design which has previously fetched up to £125. TikTok user @CoinCollectingWizard has recently highlighted the importance of rummaging through your wallet for these collectables.

Discussing the Table Tennis 50p coin from the 2012 series, he said: "Almost 1.2million coins dated 2011 were struck to enter circulation. The coin features two people playing table tennis or ping pong if you prefer.

"Table tennis made its Olympic debut at Seoul 1988. The first player to score 11 points wins each game based on best of seven games for singles and best of five for team matches.

"If you are lucky enough to come across this table tennis 50p, then you are looking at around £2 in circulated condition and around £5 in brand new condition."

The Olympic 50p designs were selected through a public competition in 2009, with the Table Tennis 50p receiving a staggering 30,000 submissions. The user added: "Do you or have you seen this 50p in your change? Or have you seen any of the other Olympics coins, let me know in the comments."

Following the revelation, the post quickly garnered hundreds of likes and numerous comments. One user remarked: "Nice ending! " Another commented: "I have a lot of them."