09 May 2023 , 10:24
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A rare 50p coin has sold for £205 after sparking a bidding war on eBay.
The Kew Gardens 50p coin was released in 2009 to mark 250 years since the iconic botanic garden opened to the public in 1759.
Its design features the famous Chinese Pagoda in the gardens being intertwined by a leafy climber.
The Kew Gardens 50p regularly tops lists of rarest coins, with just 210,000 in circulation - meaning it is highly sought-after by collectors.
Coin Hunter website says the mid-point price range for this 50p is roughly £156.25.
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It puts the average price range for one being sold to between £150.89 and £161.50.
Kew Gardens 50p is sought-after by collectors (PA)The Mirror spotted one Kew Gardens 50p sold for slightly above this, fetching £205 exactly, plus £2.65 for postage and packing.
The coin attracted 12 bids before the eBay listing ended on May 5.
In the item description, the seller wrote: “This coin is an absolute beauty.
“I’ve had a few Kew Garden coins over the years and this coin is one of the best I’ve had, in great condition would be a great coin for someone’s collection.”
It's important to remember that a coin is only ever really worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
This means if you put something on sale on eBay, you may get more or less than you hope for - unless you put a reserve price on it.
If you find a Kew Gardens 50p in your change, you should check the date on it first as not all these designs are wanted by collectors.
The Royal Mint reissued a batch of the coins in 2019 as part of a collection to celebrate 50 years of the 50p - and these don’t tend to fetch as much on eBay.
The 2019 version typically sells for between £70 and £80 on the auction site.
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If you’re thinking about buying a rare coin on eBay, you should always be wary of fakes doing the rounds.
Websites and Facebook groups from change experts like Coin Hunter can help you work out if a coin is the real deal or not.