Check your change for 'rarest' 50p piece that's the 'Holy Grail of coin collecting'
An expert has spoken about the 'ultra rare' 50p coin that collectors all want to get their hands on.
While we move more and more towards a cashless - or at least mostly-cashless - society, notes and coins are becoming less common in daily life.
It used to be the case that everyone would have a mixture of fivers, tenners, and coins of all descriptions in their wallets, purses, and pockets. But with card transactions dominating in-person payments, many of us have no cash on us day to day.
If you do have a stash of loose change somewhere, whether at the bottom of your purse or in jar at home, it might be worth looking closely at the coins, as you may unknowingly have a rare piece among them.
These sought-after coins can be worth far more than their face value, and this is especially true for 50p pieces, which can be bought for hundreds of pounds by keen collectors.
Factors such as their mintage and condition will impact how much you could get for certain items. When coins are released by the Royal Mint, certain limited edition pieces have a much higher value than others.
As reported by The Mirror, one expert has identified what he believes to be the "rarest" 50p piece - the Kew Gardens 50p.
There are just 210,000 in circulation and, as they can be difficult to spot for the untrained eye, you may have inadvertantly had one in your possession..
There are a few things to look out for to check if you have a Kew Gardens 50p. In a video released on TikTok last June, @CoinCollectingWizard spoke about the rare design.
In the clip, the TikToker - who boasts almost 250,000 followers - said: "The Kew Gardens 50p hit the headlines in February 2014 when it was revealed as the most scarce 50p in circulation.
"At the peak of the hype surrounding its value, some coins were exchanging hands for hundreds of pounds. This coin was reissued in 2019 as part of the 50th anniversary of the 50p celebrations, the 2019 version of this coin was a commemorative issue and did not enter general circulation.
"A circulated version of the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p can easily sell for £150 today, a graded uncirculated version can sell for double this."
First launched in 2009 as part of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, it features a Chinese pagoda building.
This served as a chamber for Princess Augusta, the founder of the park, with the late Queen Elizabeth II's profile on the other side.
It is one of the most sought-after pieces in coin-collecting circles in the UK, with one being sold for £205 in 2023 - more than 400 times its face value.
@CoinCollectingWizard continued: "Just 210,000 Kew Gardens were minted for circulation in 2009 and has become the Holy Grail of UK coin hunting. So next time you are at the shop, make sure you ask for 50p coins in your change as you just never know when this ultra rare 50p might crop up."
Since the video was shared, the post racked up over 23,000 views, with hundreds of likes and dozens of comments.
One user said: "Got this one!" While another added: "I have 2x 2009, took me 20 years to find them!"
Speaking exclusively our sister title with Mirror, @CoinCollectingWizard added: "Spotting a fake/copy version of a Kew Gardens is normally quite obvious.
"If you look under the Queen's neck there are letters IRB which is the designer's initials. If it says IRB copy then it's fake. The other way is always on the Queen's side. No detail in the Queen's hair and crown."
Where to find Kew Gardens 50p coin
@CoinCollectingWizard said: "Best place to find Kew Gardens is trying to get bags of 50ps from your Post Office or bank as you have a higher chance of finding one if you are looking through lots."
Speaking about the most expensive version of the commemorative coin, he continued: "It's the gold proof version that originally sold for around £700 and recently £6,000 at auction."
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