‘Extremely’ rare 50p coins are being sold by people in County Durham for up to £5,000.

The items are listed on eBay and Facebook Marketplace and include a Kew Gardens 50p and a King Charles 'Gold' 50p coin.

Both coins are described as 'very rare' on the listing, with the Kew Gardens one going for £800 and the Gold 50p up for £600.

Coins on offer online for around £5000Coins on offer online for around £5000 (Image: FACEBOOK) However, this seems to be on the cheaper side, with coins on the market in County Durham on Facebook and eBay changing hands for £3000, £4000, and £5000.

One the descriptions of the items, people have said about the 'rare quality' of the coins, before listing them for £5000 - with other coins seen for as much as £10,000 in other parts of the UK.

What makes a coin valuable?

The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.

Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.

The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.

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Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.

The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.



Royal Mint top 10 most valuable 50p coins

Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:

  1. Olympic Aquatics (2011), unknown
  2. Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
  3. Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
  4. Olympic football(2011), 1,161,500
  5. Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
  6. Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
  7. Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
  8. Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
  9. Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
  10. Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500