Brits urged to check their change after 50p coin sells for over 60 times its face value on eBay

The collector's item could be accidentally stowed away in a piggy bank, someone's pocket or even down the back of the sofa

Brits are being urged to check their change after a 50p coin sold for over 60 times its original value on eBay.

The collector’s item could be accidentally stowed away in a piggy bank, someone’s pocket or even down the back of the sofa.

The coin can be spent as it is still legal tender, but only a few of them may have ever entered circulation.

If you are fortunate enough to find this coin, which was issued in 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landings, then you could be in for a healthy sum of around £30.

That is after one coin from a seller in Malvern, Worcestershire, received £29.99, according to Worcester News.

This year, the Snowman is being depicted on a new Royal Mint 50p coin – with a gold version hidden in one of its advent calendars for someone to discover on Christmas Eve.

The Mint said that to further celebrate the launch of The Snowman 2024 collectable 50p, it has hidden a solid gold coin behind door 24 in one limited-edition The Snowman advent calendar, offering someone the chance of “striking gold”.

The brand new Snowman 50p coin is available in a range of precious metal finishes, including colour editions, on the Royal Mint’s website, with prices starting at £12. It will not be entering general circulation, however.

The advent calendars will be priced at £30, with a total of 3,000 available – and only one will have a gold proof coin of The Snowman hidden inside.

Printing errors and other strange occurrences can result in odd coins that become more and more valuable over time.

In 2014, a £2 coin featuring Lord Kitchener was issued with a printing error. There are believed to be around 800 versions of the coin that have the error on.

The image of Lord Kitchener, the secretary of state for war at the outset of World War One, is still very famous in the UK. Kitchener is known as the face of the recruiting posters showing his face with the words “your country needs you”

TikTok user Coin Collector UK said: "If you find this £2 coin check it for an extremely rare error. The coin must lack the inscription "two pounds" on the Queen's side, otherwise it's just a regular £2 coin."