RARE bank notes and coins can sell for multiple times their face value so it’s worth seeing if you’ve got any lying about.
The Royal Mint, the UK’s official maker of British coins, put 29 coins into circulation in 2011 to mark the 2012 London Olympics.
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And because only a limited amount were minted, some have been known to sell for a hefty sum.
More than a decade after they were first struck, some are still out there – and could be worth up to £150.
What is the rarest Olympic 50p coin?
In most cases, a coin is valuable if a low amount were put into circulation – known as its mintage figure.
Generally, the lower a coin’s mintage figure, the more you will be able to sell it for in an auction, on eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
But this isn’t always the case and some coins have been known to sell for more than others despite more having been put into circulation.
You can find out what a coin’s mintage figure is by going on The Royal Mint’s website.
Meanwhile, some coins are also considered rare when there was a mistake in the manufacturing process.
It is worth noting that coins are only really worth what someone is willing to pay for them.
These are commonly known as “error” coins, and there are usually just a few in circulation.
When it comes to the 50p pieces, the football 50p coin is the rarest out of the Olympic set, according to The Royal Mint.
Just 1,125,500 of the coins, showing the popular sport, were minted.
However, the football 50p is not as rare as the Kew Gardens 50p piece, of which there are only 200,000 out there.
The Kew Gardens piece was minted a few years earlier than the Olympic collection and has been known to sell for up to a whopping £895 on eBay in the past.
The coin to fetch the most in the Olympic range in recent months is the Aquatics error coin though, which sold for £150.
The error in the design makes it more valuable to collectors, just like several other rare error coins out there too.
Otherwise, the 2012 aquatics coin with the updated design is one of the more highly circulated coins with 2,197,000 released.
How much are the Olympic 50p coins worth?
The value of rare coins can change so it’s always worth taking each listing we’ve outlined below with a pinch of salt.
A rare piece is only worth what the bidder is willing to pay for it at that time.
Here are the top ten rarest coins of the Olympic collection, and how much they’ve sold for recently on eBay.
What are the most rare and valuable coins?
1. Aquatics – sold for £4
If you find an aquatic 50p error coin with lines over the face, it could be worth a small fortune.
A small handful of this original design was put into circulation but it was then adapted very quickly to show the face above the water.
With so few of the original design out there, it’s meant the coin’s value has been pushed up significantly.
We found one of these error coins sold for £125 in February this year, although one sold for £150 in January.
But more recently they have been selling for quite a lot less, with one going for £4.30 on June 16 with four bids.
But this is still more than eight times its face value.
Currently, people are trying to flog them for £50 on eBay but no offers are being made for this price.
2. Triathlon – sold for £30
The Triathlon coin fetched £30 on eBay on June 21 with one bid.
Keep an eye out for the design which shows three outlined figures – one swimming one cycling and one running.
Currently, a coin is up on eBay for £12 but no offers have been made.
The football coins are the rarest of all the Olympics 2012 coins, with just 1,125,500 in circulation.
The coin’s design shows a football pitch with a diagram explaining the “offside” rule.
One sold for £15 on eBay on July 25, although it has been known to go for as much as £75 in the past.
That is a good example of how a coin is only worth what someone is willing to pay.
4. Judo – sold for £16
If you find a Judo Olympics 50p coin down the back of the sofa, you could sell it for a decent price.
The coin, which depicts one barefoot fighter throwing another to the floor, and in the past sold on eBay for £16.
More recently, it has sold for £8.61 and £3.99.
5. Tennis – sold for £4
The Olympics 2012 tennis coin depicts a ball soaring over a net.
Last year, we found one which sold for £17.95 on the site.
But more recently they are selling for £2.20.
6. Wrestling – sold for £12
You can still get a decent price for the wrestling coin despite it being one of the less rare ones.
We found one that had recently sold on eBay for £11.95.
On July 26th one sold for £7.65, so it may be worth holding on to your coin for a bit longer.
7. Handball – sold for £3.25
Last year a handball sold for £3.25, however there have not been any sales in recent weeks.
The design on the coin shows a male athlete preparing to throw a ball with the blueprint of a handball pitch in the background.
8. Pentathlon – sold for £9
This coin features when the running and shooting events of the pentathlon were combined for the first time.
All in all, it shows fencing, swimming, riding, and combined running and shooting.
In the past we have seen one sell for for £8.99.
However, more recently they are up for around three pounds.
9. Goalball – sold for £10
You could sell a goalball Olympics 2012 50p for £10 if you find it buried in an old coat pocket.
How to sell a rare coin
FIND a rare coin and you can sell it on to a collector for more.
When it comes to selling a rare coin, you have three main options – eBay, Facebook Marketplace or auction.
If you’re selling through Facebook, be wary of the risks.
Fraudsters have contacted sellers in the past saying they want to buy a rare coin and ask for money upfront for a courier to collect it.
But the items are never picked up, leaving sellers out of pocket.
To stop this happening, it’s worth meeting the buyer in person and in a public meeting spot that’s well-lit.
If you’re selling through eBay, you’ll have to start by registering for an account and then listing a product.
Make sure you’ve got good pictures and mention the condition of the coin to avoid leaving buyers disappointed.
Bear in mind the safest way to sell a rare coin will more than likely be through auction.
You can organise doing this via The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service, which has a team of experts who can authenticate and value a coin.
Get in touch with them via email and a member of its valuation team will get back to you.
Do bear in mind you will be charged for the service though. How much depends on the size of your collection.
The design shows a goalball player throwing the ball in a sport that is designed specifically for athletes with visual impairment.
10. Basketball – sold for £3
We’ve seen this coin go for £2.80 in previous eBay auction.
The price has been knocked down slightly in recently weeks to £2.25.
There were 1,689,500 of the piece, which details the classic US sports, entered into circulation.
In other news, we reveal the most rare and valuable 10p coins in circulation including one worth 100 times its face value.
The Sun has previously published a list of rare 2p coins that could be worth up to £900.
Plus, a rare coin dating back nearly 700 years recently sold for an eye-watering sum after being found down a field drain.
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