Rare 50p coin sells for £150 after online bidding war

A rare 50p coin has sold for almost 300 times its face value, and there are many more out there.

Some coins are sought out by collectors, and this particular one is estimated by experts to be worth around £140, so the seller has been that extra bit lucky in this instance.

The coin was released in 2009 to mark 250 years since Kew Gardens opened in 1759 and the Royal Mint estimate around 210,000 were made. It features the famous Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Garden on the tails side with the late Queen's face on the other.

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Described as a "Rare 100% Genuine KEW GARDENS 50p Coin In Stunning Circulated Condition" on eBay, the coin had an original starting price of £1. But after a 16-way bidding war, this quickly jumped up and up to a final sale price of £149, plus £4.19 for postage and packaging.

There are an estimated 210,000 of the coins in circulation, so if could be well worth checking your change for a Kew Gardens 50p. If you do find one, the first thing you should do is check the date on it.

This is because the Royal Mint reissued a batch of the coins in 2019 to celebrate 50 years of the 50p, and this version doesn’t tend to sell for as much. That said, these ones have been known to sell for around £70 or £80 on eBay so you could still be in for an exciting payday.

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