A rare 50p coin has been sold for an eye-watering £179 after a competitive eBay bidding war took place.
Collectors are often more than willing to pay some extra cash for rare coins, raising them way above their original value. In this case, it is understood that the coin sold was worth around £140.
The coin was issued in 2009 as part of the 250-year anniversary for Kew Gardens which opened in 1759, with the Royal Mint estimating that around 210,000 were made. The 50p features the infamous Chinese Pagoda and the Royal Botanic Gardens on the tail side, the Liverpool Echo reports.
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The online listing for the coin stated it was a "Rare 100% Genuine 2009 Kew Gardens 50p Coin In Excellent Circulated Condition" with a starting price of 99p. Despite the cheap listing, a 28-way bidding war quickly kicked off, with the final winner forking out £179 plus £6.85 for "express delivery".
This means the coin was sold for 358 times its face value. Many people could currently be in possession of the rare coin.
If you have the Kew Gardens 50p, it might b e worth checking 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 which isn't as valuable.
On average, the rare coin sells for £70 and £80 on eBay.
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