FINDING spare change down the back of the sofa is always a nice surprise – but spotting a rare coin is even better.
There’s a chance the small coins in your change might be worth a big fortune.
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Rare coins are known to pick up large sums of money.
If you discover a sought-after coin in your change you can make money on it by selling them at auction, either online or in person, or through a dealer.
If a coin has a low mintage figure (this is the number which are in circulation), it means it’s rare and not many have been produced.
These coins can be worth thousands of times their face value – but sometimes it’s just tiny differences that makes your spare change so lucrative.
This can make it pretty difficult to separate the ordinary from the extraordinary – unless you know what you’re looking for.
The Sun spoke to Mark Loveridge, the director of UK currency at The Royal Mint, to find out the exact dates and designs you should be keeping an eye out for.
Do I have a rare coin?
The most valuable coins have low mintage numbers, which makes them valuable for collectors.
You can check mintage figures on The Royal Mint’s website.
Mark added: “But the main thing to keep in mind is that a coin is only worth as much as people are willing to pay for it.
“The scarcity of an item can help to drive its price up, but it’s no guarantee.”
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The Royal Mint has experts who can help you to work out what your change is worth.
It has a team who can help you to authenticate and value your coin.
You simple take a picture of your coin and attach it to email – you can find the details on The Royal Mint’s website.
If the coin isn’t in mint condition though, you’ll need to point this out to make sure you’re clear with collectors as to what they’re getting.
Kew Gardens 50p – up to £580
Just 210,000 of the Kew Gardens 50ps were released into circulation in 2009.
This makes it the rarest 50p currently in circulation – its recognisable design and low mintage make it highly sought-after.
The coin features the Chinese Pagoda at the famous London landmark of the same name
It’s not unusual to see this coin sell for big bucks – we’ve previously spotted the Kew Gardens 50p go for as much as £580.
If you find one in your change, Mark said there are a few things you should check to help you assess the quality of the coin.
He said: “Check whether it’s been in circulation for a long time and if it’s in good condition.
“This will have an impact on the valuation of that particular coin.”
You can check how long the coin has been in circulation by looking at the date on the coin.
An expert, such as those at The Royal Mint, will be able to tell you if your coin is in good condition, or not.
Olympic Wrestling 50p – around £11
Commemorative 50p coins were made to mark the London 2012 games and some still attract strong interest from collectors.
The Wrestling 50p was minted in 2011 and features two wrestlers competing in a stadium full of lights and fans.
There are 1,129,500 of these special coins in circulation, according to the Royal Mint.
But while itt may be one of the rarest coins, it doesn’t actually go for as much as others.
We found circulated versions of the wrestling 50p selling for around £11 on eBay recently.
But the coin could be worth more to someone if it helps finish off their collection.
Olympic Football – up to £20
This coin, also minted in 2011, was probably the most talked about Olympic coin because its design is a diagram explaining the off-side rule.
Only 1,161,500 of these coins are in circulation.
A circulated one recently sold on eBay for £20, and while this might not sound like a lot, it’s actually 40 times its original value.
Olympic Judo – around £12
The design of this coin shows one person throwing their opponent to the floor.
It was also minted in 2011 to celebrate the Olympics being held in London.
We found an Olympic Judo coin that had been sold on eBay earlier this month for £11.99.
Olympic Triathlon – around £10
Only 1,161,500 of these coins were released into circulation.
This makes the coin the fourth rarest in circulation.
The design is make up of a swimmer, cyclist and a runner to represent the three activities that make up a triathlon.
One of these recently sold for £10 on eBay after attracting 12 bids – it might not sound a lot, but it’s still 20 times the coin’s face value.
Peter Rabbit – around £10
If you find a Peter Rabbit 50p after rooting through your spare change, it could be your lucky day.
It was designed by Emma Noble, who also created the other designs in the full Beatrix Potter collection.
The coin, minted in 2018, features Beatrix Potter’s famous furry character, Peter Rabbit and 1,400,000 were put into circulation.
We found one of the coins had recently sold on eBay for £9.95.
Flopsy Bunny – around £9
Flopsy Bunny is another classic character who has made her way into our pockets on 50p coins.
The coin has been popular with literature fans and coin collectors alike.
The coin was issued in 2018 to celebrate one of Beatrix Potter’s most loved children’s tales, “The tale of Flopsy Bunny”.
This is the first UK coin to feature Flopsy Bunny and is part of the third series of Beatrix Potter 50ps after the 2016 and 2017 series proved to be extremely popular with coin collectors.
The design features Flopsy Bunny herself, but if you aren’t familiar with the character, then her name is also featured on the design close to the rim.
We found that one of these cute coins had sold on eBay for £8.99.
Selling a coin at auction or through a dealer
There are many different factors to consider when trying to value a coin, including its condition and mintage, so it’s important to do your homework first.
If you’ve got a coin that you would like to sell at auction, you can contact The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you to authenticate and value your coin.
You’ll need to enquire via email, and a member of the valuation team will contact get back to you.
Take a picture of your coin and attach this to the email – you can find the details on The Royal Mint’s website.
Be aware that you will be charged for this service though – the cost will vary depending on the size of your collection.
If you are looking to buy a coin online through a marketplace such as eBay, Mark said its important to know exactly what you are purchasing.
This is because anyone can list a coin on eBay and charge whatever amount they wish.
Mark said: “You need to make sure that you understand where the coin has come from, the provenance and if you can guarantee its validity.
“The main thing for people to watch out for is that it’s only worth as much as people are willing to pay for it.
“The scarcity of the item can help to drive its price up, but beware of people looking to make a fast return.”
Mark added that you should be patient and not rush into a purchase as its important to know exactly what your buying.
You should also be wary of fakes online – and keep in mind that on eBay a buyer could pull out, which means the coin won’t have sold for the price it says it has.
New coins to keep an eye out for
Mark said coin hunters looking to add to their collection should keep an eye out for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 50p.
The coin was officially released in January and it is the first 50p ever made to mark a royal event.
The heads side of the coin features The Queen on horseback, while the tails face shows the number 70, marking how long Her Majesty has been ruling for.
The coin’s design was personally been given the nod by the Queen.
Mark said all 5,000,070 Platinum Jubilee coins are now in circulation.
The Sun spotted one of these commemorative coins had sold for £1.75 on eBay.
Mark said The Royal Mint is also planning to release its commemorative Pride 50ps into circulation.
He added: “It’s been very popular and has landed very well with the broad audience in the UK.
“It’s one to look out for in your change – but whether it will be worth more than face value really depends on how many make it into circulation.”
Meanwhile, we have put together a guide on the rarest and most valuable coins.
We also tell you what you should do if you find a lucky penny in your pocket.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
