It’s always exciting to discover you’ve had an unusual coin hiding in your wallet. But one rare 50p coin was recently sold for a whopping £119 – so everyone should check their change just in case.
The coin was the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p coin and was sold for exactly £119.08 after eight bids were placed on the rare piece. The bid ended on 19 April 2026. The design, created by Christopher Le Brun, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew with a leafy climber twining in and around the tower.
The Kew Gardens 50p coin was introduced to celebrate the botanical garden’s 250th anniversary in 2009, according to The Royal Mint.
They said that “the two rarest 50p coins in circulation, which many consider as the most collectable, are the 2009 Kew Gardens UK 50p coin and the 2023 Atlantic Salmon UK 50p coin.”
On their website, they go on to explain why that is.
“Due to its low mintage of 210,000, the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p piece has become one of the most talked about coins in the coin-collecting community over the last 15 years.”
The Royal Mint explained that the low mintage of this piece was due to the low demand for the 50p coin when the coin was released into circulation.
The Atlantic Salmon 50p coin was first unveiled in 2023 as the first part of a collection of eight new designs. The coin shows a fish splashing in water, reflecting King Charles III’s passion for conservation and the natural world.
This coin is even rarer than the 2009 Kew Gardens design.
The Royal Mint wrote: “The 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p coin has a mintage of 200,000, the lowest mintage of a circulating 50p coin and we expect many collectors will now turn their attention to securing this coin as part of their collections.”
They advised on how best to find a rare 50p coin, adding that they can actually be pretty easy to get your hands on.
“Finding a rare 50p coin could be as easy as checking the change you have at home. You can also join our coin-swap community on Facebook where you can chat with other collectors about the best places to pick up unusual finds.
“A sought-after design could drop right into your lap,” they said, “so be careful to check your change for anything unusual before you spend it.”
