A RARE 50p coin could be worth up to £155 – and there’s one small detail that could make all the difference.
The Rainbow Pride 50p was released by the Royal Mint in 2022 to celebrate 50 years of the UK Pride movement.
2
2
It features the Pride progression flag and is inscribed with the words “Protest, Visibility, Unity, and Equality” in rainbow colours.
On the other side is Queen Elizabeth II, as the coin was minted before the monarch’s death.
Artist Dominique Holmes designed the coin, with around 5,000,000 produced and now in circulation.
However, some feature a minting error, making them highly sought after by collectors.
These small errors make the coins far scarcer – and much more valuable at auction.
TikTok coin guru Coin Collecting Wizard, whose real name is Barry Graham, has sent collectors into a frenzy with his latest video, in which he explains what to look out for.
He stated that the coin itself is not rare, as around 5 million were put into circulation.
However, he explains in the video that: “There were also limited edition versions released by the Royal Mint in brilliant uncirculated, silver proof, and gold proof. Those are worth real money.”
The error, he says, occurs when the rainbow design, which is meant for the tail side of the coin, was mistakenly imprinted on the head side as well, around Queen Elizabeth II.
He states: “Here you can see the error on this Pride 50p.
“A die clash occurs when the obverse and reverse dies are damaged upon striking each other without a planchet between them.”
According to Coin Collecting Wizard, one seller recently bagged £155 at an auction for their misprinted Pride 50p, more than 300 times its face value.
How to check if your small change is worth anything
If you think that you might have a rare coin then it’s worth checking with an expert to see if yours could sell for a hefty price tag.
The most valuable coins are usually those with a low mintage or an error.
These are often deemed the most valuable by collectors.
You can check how much the coin is selling for on eBay by searching the full name of the coin, selecting the “sold” listing and then toggling the search to “highest value”.
It will give you an idea of the amount of money that the coin is going for.
But it’s not always the case that a coin has sold for the amount is was listed for.
Coins are really only worth what someone else is willing to pay for them.
Sometimes, collectors are willing to pay more for a coin if they need it to complete a set.
How to sell a rare coin
You can sell a rare coin on eBay, Facebook, or at an auction.
If you’re selling on Facebook, there are risks attached, though, so be careful.
Sellers have previously been targeted by scammers on Facebook pretending to need a courier to pick a coin up and asking for payment, but it’s a ruse and the courier is never sent.
To avoid this happening, it’s always best to meet a Facebook seller in-person when buying or selling anything.
Ensure it’s a public meeting spot that’s in a well-lit area and if you can, avoid using payment links.
Most sellers prefer to deal with cash directly when meeting to ensure it’s legitimate.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction. You can organise this with The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
