A RARE 50p coin that features Roger Bannister could be hiding in your spare change.
Sporting fans and collectors alike could be looking to get their hands on the coin – meaning your spare change could be worth more than you think.
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Roger Bannister was the first English athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes, back in 1954 – he managed it in three minutes and 59.4 seconds to be exact.
Roger’s accomplishment was no mean feat and went down in British history.
As such, his sporting achievement was celebrated on 50p coins 50 years later in 2004.
The coin, designed by James Butler, features a pair of running legs alongside a clock to highlight the incredible time set by the athlete.
In 2019, the coin was reissued as part of the 50th anniversary of the 50p celebrations.
However, these were commemorative editions and therefore did not enter general circulation, according to Change Checker.
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How rare is the Roger Bannister 50p?
There are 9,032,500 Roger Bannister 50ps in circulation according to Change Checker.
This is in comparison to roughly 200 million regular 50ps in circulation in total.
Coins don’t often depict human achievements, which makes this 50p a rarity in some ways.
But overall, the Roger Bannister 50p coin is fairly common, and is rated just a two on Change Checker’s scarcity index.
This ranks each coin on a scale of one to 100, indicating how rare they are to find.
The higher the number, the rarer the coin – meaning this one is at the common end of the spectrum.
How much is the Roger Bannister 50p worth?
Usually, the rarer the coin the greater its value.
As this is a fairly common coin, sellers aren’t listing it on Ebay for a fortune.
One seller made a total of £22.21 for their Roger Bannister 50p.
The listing piqued the interest of 12 people, and a total of 16 bids were placed.
The starting price was £4.99, and the seller ended up making just over 44 times the amount of its face value.
If you think you’ve spotted a gem in your change, you can check with experts like Coin Hunter and The Royal Mint.
It’s worth noting that interest can ebb and flow, meaning the amount your shrapnel is worth can change.
If you’re thinking of buying what looks to be a rare coin, keep in mind that fakes exist online – and buyers can pull out of sales which means an item won’t have sold for the price it says it has.
Roger Bannister coins aren’t the only 50p designs floating about – some Brits have found Flopsy Bunny characters on their 50ps, which could fetch some serious dough.
While others have managed to get their hands on a WWF designed 50p.
And it’s not just 50ps collecting money for a higher amount than face value – collectors may be interested in a Frankenstein edition £2 coin.
Rare coins and valuable notes – is yours worth a mint?
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