An 'extremely rare' 50p coin has sold for 188 times its shop value because of one subtle error.
The Benjamin Bunny coin was sold for £94.28 on eBay earlier this week.
The coin is one of four released in 2017 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of famed British author Beatrix Potter.
Coins featuring Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten and Jeremy Fisher were also released as part of the 2017 collection.
A batch of the Benjamin Bunny 50p pieces were minted with a subtle error - as Queen Elizabeth's head is wonky.
The error, which has made the coin's value skyrocket, shows the Queen's head pointing in the wrong direction.
The Queen's head is supposed to point in the same direction as the Benjamin Bunny design on the reverse.
The listing description describes the coin as 'a prized possession for numismatists and coin enthusiasts alike'.
The listing reads: "The Benjamin Bunny 2017 50p coin with rotation error is a highly sought-after collectible in the world of coin flipping.
"The coin, minted during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, features a unique rotation error that makes it extremely rare and valuable to collectors.
"Produced in the UK, this coin is a part of a larger collection of British decimal coins from the early 1970s up to the present day.
"With its limited availability and distinctive feature, the Benjamin Bunny 2017 50p coin is a prized possession for numismatists and coin enthusiasts alike."
One keen collector paid the hefty £94.28 buy-it-now listing price plus £2.70 postage to snap up the 50p piece on Thursday [November 6].
That means the coin was sold for a little over 188 times its shop value and will be sure to have Brits checking their change for the same error.
The Royal Mint released five coins marking the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter in 2016 and they were the Beatrix Potter Anniversary 50p, Peter Rabbit 50p, Jemima Puddle Duck 50p, Mrs Tiggy Winkle 50p, and Squirrel Nutkin 50p.
Due to their success, The Royal Mint released a further four 50p coins and these were Peter Rabbit 50p, Tom Kitten 50p, Jeremy Fisher 50p, and Benjamin Bunny 50p.
A further four Beatrix Potter 50p coins were released in 2018 and these were Peter Rabbit 50p, Flopsy Bunny 50p, Mrs Tittlemouse 50p, and The Tailor of Gloucester 50p.
Rarest 50p coins in circulation the UK?
The Royal Mint has revealed the most valuable 50p coin, ahead of the 1971 decimalisation’s golden anniversary.
The rarest is the Kew’s Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design.
The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.
The other rarest coins stem predominantly from the 2011 Olympics, with the wrestling, football and judo coins among the most valuable. Only 1.1million of each of these coins were produced.
Flopsy bunny and Peter Rabbit designs which were produced in 2018 are also highly valuable.
These coins - 1.4 million of which were minted - depict the characters from Beatrix Potter’s novels and celebrate the life of the English writer and these sell for around £5.
In 2019, 500 million coins were produced, with three new 50p designs.
These included one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Paddington Bear at St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.
Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint
Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:
- 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
- Olympic Shooting (2011), 1,656,500
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