A RARE 50p coin could be hiding in your change – and it might be worth a fortune.
Collectors are desperate to track down a Brexit 50p that was made with the wrong date, and one even sold for an eye-watering £40,000 at auction.
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The Withdrawal from the EU 50p, better known as the “Brexit 50p”, was officially released into circulation on January 31, 2020, marking Britain’s departure from the EU.
But what many people don’t know is that millions of the coins were originally minted with a different date – October 31, 2019 – in preparation for an earlier planned Brexit.
When Brexit was delayed, these coins were supposed to be melted down – but some are rumoured to have made it into circulation.
And that’s where the big money comes in.
If you find one with the October 31 2019 date, you could be sitting on a goldmine.
One lucky seller managed to flog theirs for a whopping £40,000.
A total of 10,001,000 Brexit 50p coins with the correct date of 31st January 2020 were put into circulation, making them relatively common.
But those with the earlier date are extremely rare and highly sought after by collectors.
So far, two of the surviving coins have surfaced.
If you think you have one, it’s worth checking its value on sites like eBay.
A thousand trial coins had also been made to mark the first exit date of March 29 2019, which was missed by Mr Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May.
The March coins were also recycled after the updated exit deadline, making a surviving coin with this date extremely rare.
According to experts, coin collectors would be willing to pay tens of thousands for this.
This isn’t the only 50p that can bring in a small fortune.
Earlier this week, another 50p coin sold for almost 500 times its face value, fetching a whopping £245.
The coin featured lines across a swimmers’ face which made it incredibly rare and sought after.
The “Lines Over Face” Aquatics 50p was first struck in 2011 and then tweaked to make the face more visible.
Designed by Jonathan Ollife, the coin has been described as “extra special” by the Royal Mint, which creates the UK’s currency.
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.
