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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
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Kate Lally & Nicola Roy

Rare 50p coins may be worth up to £150 as people urged to check their change

Shoppers have been urged to check their change in case they might be unknowingly in possession of a super rare 50p coin.

The special specimen was released back in 2009 to celebrate the 250 years since Kew Gardens was opened in London. One of the currency sold for a whopping £150 online - a remarkable 300 times its face value.

Collectors are willing to spend big to get their hands on one of the items. According to the Royal Mint, approximately 210,000 of them were made.

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Each one boasts an image of the beautiful Chinese Pagoda at the Gardens on one side with the classic late Queen's head on the other.

Liverpool Echo reports that Coinhunter estimated the coins are worth around £140 back in December, but one managed to sell for £150 on eBay last month.

Which? has also shared a list of 50p coins that are worth more than their original value. Another one is the Judo Olympics coin, minted in 2011 as part of a 29 piece collection to celebrate the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

The coin is adorned with a picture of two athletes mid-throw during a Judo tournament, and it was designed by David Cornell.

Only 1,161,500 Judo coins entered into circulation in 2011, making it one of the rarest 50ps. According to Coinhunter, a circulated Judo coin in good condition is worth around £10, but one of the highest bids recently seen on eBay is for £18.

The coin has a special design. (PA)

Other coins include the 2012 Olympics football 50p, which features the hotly debated offside rule. Just over a million entered circulation, making it one of the rarest 50ps.

Coinhunter estimates these are worth around £13, though one has sold on eBay recently for £22.

Other notable coins that made the list were a couple of the Beatrix Potter 50ps, released in 2016 to mark 150 years since the famed author's birth.

Peter Rabbit, Flopsy Bunny and Jemima Puddle-Duck all feature on these iconic 50p coins that are estimated to be worth £4.50, £8 and £4 respectively.

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