IF you pay close attention to your change, you might spot an animal on your King Charles III 50p that could make it worth more than £40.
Coins with a distinctive design could be worth a small fortune because very few make it into circulation.
1
For this reason, they are very attractive to collectors who are sometimes willing to pay large sums in exchange for one.
One of the most current sought-after coins is the King Charles III Atlantic Salmon 50p, which first entered circulation on November 2023.
The coin was one of eight new special varieties released by the Royal Mint, reflecting the King’s passion for conservation and the natural world.
Despite an estimated 500,000 Salmon 50ps entering circulation in, collectors have been finding them hard to come by, according to ChangeChecker.
The coin is marked with an engraving of salmon fish jumping out of Atlantic ocean water.
It has become much harder to find in change, and prices on online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon have continued to rise.
Copes Coins previously told The Sun that Atlantic Salmon 50p could become “one of the rarest coins to enter circulation in the last 15 years”.
You can make money from these rare coins by selling them at auction, either online or in person, or through a dealer.
The Sun found that one of these coins recently sold on eBay for £41 on September 22 with 13 bids.
Another sold for £25 on September 20 with 18 bids.
On September 11, one of these coins sold for £28 with nine bids.
The price of a coin varies based on things like demand at the time and how common it is.
It’s important to remember that you aren’t guaranteed to fetch huge amounts if you do choose to sell your change.
Sometimes you’ll get better individual prices if another enthusiast needs your coin to complete their collection.
Anyone can list a coin on eBay and charge whatever amount they wish, but it’s only ever worth what someone is willing to pay.
By checking the recently sold items you will get a more accurate indication of what people are willing to pay for a specific coin.
What are the most rare and valuable coins?
How to sell a rare coin
If, after checking, you realise you’ve come across a rare coin, there’s a number of ways you can sell it.
You can sell it on eBay, through Facebook, or in an auction.
But be wary of the risks.
For example, there are a number of scams targeting sellers on Facebook.
Crooks will say they’re planning to buy the item and ask for money upfront for a courier they’ll be sending around.
But it’s all a ruse to get you to send free cash to them – and they never have any intention of picking your item up.
It’s always best to meet in person when buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace.
Ensure it’s a public meeting spot that’s in a well-lit area.
Avoid payment links and log in directly through the payment method’s website.
Most sellers prefer to deal with cash directly when meeting to ensure it’s legitimate.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction.
You can organise this with The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service. It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
You will be charged for the service, though – the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.
Meanwhile, you can sell rare coins on eBay.
But take into account that if you manage to sell your item then eBay will charge you 10% of the money you made – this includes postage and packaging.
The design of the coin, its condition and whether or not the coin is in circulation also affects how much it could be worth.
You can easily figure out how rare a coin is, by checking its mintage figures.
This relates to how many coins were produced by The Royal Mint.
If a coin has a low mintage, it means there are fewer of them in circulation and is therefore rarer and it could potentially be worth more than its face value.
But remember a coin is only ever worth what someone is willing to pay at the time.
Either way, you’ll want to keep an eye out for some in particular which can sell for big numbers.
A rare Blue Peter Olympic 50p has been flogged on eBay for £205 in the past.
The coin shows an athlete doing the high jump and was drawn by nine-year-old Florence Jackson after winning a competition on the kid’s TV show.
Plus, one seller managed to pocket a whopping £63,000 flogging his Battle of Hasting’s 50p too.
So-called ‘error coins’ tend to be worth a lot too, because there’s rarely more than a few thousand of them in circulation.
One 50p that was mistakenly struck twice sold for as much as £510 on eBay because it was rare.
It’s not only 50ps either – a rare error 10p coin sold for over 1,000 times more than its face value on eBay in the past.
Likewise, there are several rare £2 coins in circulation which could be worth just under £50.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
