A rare coin has sold for hundreds of times its value - and if you're lucky, you still have a slim chance of finding one in your change.
The coin in question was the Kew Gardens 50p, released in 2009 to mark 250 years since Kew Gardens first opened in 1759. Featuring the garden's famous Chinese Pagoda entwined by a decorative leafy climber with the late Queen Elizabeth on the reverse side, finding one of these coins is a dream come true for many avid collectors - who will often pay a handsome price to get one.
A recent eBay listing saw one of these coins offered up at a starting price of £150 - but a 12-way bidding war soon got underway for the treasure. It ultimately ended up selling for a staggering £410, the Liverpool Echo reports.
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The royal mint said of the coin: "Over the years, the 50p coin has been issued in a huge range of commemorative editions celebrating every aspect of British culture, from athletes to authors. The sheer variety has sparked a collecting craze but of all the 50p coins, the Kew Gardens 50p is arguably the most sought-after.
"Nothing gets people excited quite like this original 2009 design. Just 210,000 were released into circulation and with almost all of them in private hands, the chances of coming across one in your change are slim."
Meanwhile, ChangeChecker describes the Key Gardens 50p as "the biggest money-maker", as it's estimated that just one in 300 people are likely to come across it - making it the scarcest UK coin in circulation. While the coin tends to sell for about £160 on average, prices have been known to be driven up into the thousands as keen collectors bid to get their hands on it.
The coin was re-issued in 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the 50p, with over 128,000 more minted, but this version was commemorative and did not go into general circulation. So coins bearing the original 2009 date are the ones you want to look out for if you're hoping to get a pretty penny from collectors.
ChangeChecker also warns that anyone hoping to get hold of one of these coins should be on the lookout for fakes, as fraudsters have been known to capitalise on its demand. Take a look at their guide on how to check if a listing is genuine by keeping your eyes peeled for some key details on the coin itself here.
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