We are all being urged to check our change for a rare Royal Mint 50p coin that is selling for more than £200.
Thousands more of the coin are thought to be in circulation, with one selling for more than 400 times its face value at an eBay auction this week.
The Blue Peter coin was released in 2009 ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
It features an athlete competing in the high jump, and was designed by Blue Peter competition winner Florence Jackson, to commemorate the games.
Around 20,000 editions of the coins were minted, but the coin was never officially put into circulation.
However, it is understood that many did enter everyday transactions.
Originally, the coins were sold for £1.09, but they now go for much more than that on occasions, with one even fetching £286 on eBay.
This week, one sold for £205, after attracting 12 bids on the online auction site.
Five Incredibly Rare and Valuable British Coins
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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- Royal Mint reveals the 10 rarest 50p coins in circulation in the UK today
- Royal Mint's 9 rarest £2 coins in circulation with some worth more than £500
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:
- Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
- Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
- Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
- Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
- Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500
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