ONE eBay seller has kicked off the new year with a bang as the sale of a rare coin in their possession has left them totally quids-in.
They listed a copy of a rare Kew Gardens 50p for just £5.99 on December 29, but after five days of bids, the final sale call left them £177 richer.
2
2
We often see this particular style coin sell for hundreds of pounds on eBay so it’s no strange feat, but it will have been a great cash boost for the seller this January, in what is typically a bleak month financially.
That’s because the coin sold for over 350 times more than its face value (of 50p).
So instead of continuing the circulation of the small change on a purchase of their own the seller has managed to make a massive profit by auctioning it off to collectors.
The coin is one of the most sought after according to both experts, The Royal Mint, and Change Checker, so they are usually very keen to get their hands on a copy.
On the reverse side it features an image of the Chinese pagoda that stands at the heart of the London attraction the coin is named after.
Originally released in 2009, only 210,000 were minted – so it’s very rare.
RARE COINS AND VALUABLE NOTES
So rare, in fact, that as many as 14 bidders were willing to put offers in, driving up the price to £177 by the end.
But we have seen copies of the coin go for as much as £190 in the past, so it’s not the most impressive win.
How to spot one in your change
It’s always worthing having a rifle through your own change to spot any unique designs – if you find one you could make a lot of money from it on eBay.
The Kew Gardens 50p isn’t the only style coin that will rake in a fairly large sum of money on the online auction site either.
Over the Christmas period we saw other commemorative style coins like festive designs or specifically “The Snowman” motifs sell for hundreds of pounds.
There’s also a range of 2012 Olympics coins that each depict various sporting events from the world-renowned games, and they’ll often sell above face value as well.
Even the odd minting error raises interest too.
They’ll all usually be produced in low numbers so demand from collectors is high.
Take a look at other listings on the site to see how much attention they gained and that way you’ll know if your own copies could leave you “mint-ed”.
You can check if something’s the real deal by looking at how many people have been willing to bid for it in the past – and how much they’ve driven the price up by too.
But be cautious of fakes, as they’ll often show up online.
To avoid, speak to experts like Coin Hunter or The Royal Mint, who will check if your change is legitimate and worth what others are saying.
But you should also always 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.
Rare coins and valuable notes – is yours worth a mint?
Royal Mint reveals new Winnie the Pooh and friends 50p coin
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Money team?
