It’s worth checking your pockets and wallets after a 50p coin sold for 5,000 times its face value on eBay.
The coin, a 50p with King Charles’ portrait on, sold for £2,500 and a seller from Pershore, Worcestershire, pocketed the profit.
The coins are the second 50ps to enter circulation bearing Charles’ official coin portrait.
The first were the memorial 50 pences, which entered circulation in December 2022, marking the transition from the late Queen to the King.
All 50p coins entering circulation will feature the King’s uncrowned portrait, the Royal Mint said, differing from the commemorative coronation coins that were unveiled earlier this year.
The reverse (tails) design of the new 50p, created by Royal Mint coin designer Natasha Jenkins, features Westminster Abbey.
At the centre of the design is the King’s official cypher, representing him at Westminster Abbey being crowned King.
The obverse (heads) of the 50p features the King’s official coin portrait which was unveiled in September 2022 and is designed by sculptor Martin Jennings, as well as being personally approved by the King.
The rarest of the Royal Mint’s most valuable 50p coins is the Kew’s Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design.
The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.
Seven Olympic 50p coins from the 2012 Olympic Games feature in the Royal Mint’s top 10 most valuable 50p coins.
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