‘Extremely’ rare 50p coins are being sold by people in County Durham for up to £5,000

The items are listed on eBay and Facebook Marketplace and include a Kew Gardens 50p and a King Charles 'Gold' 50p coin.

People in County Durham are cashing in on "extremely" rare 50p coins - with some being sold for up to £5,000.

The coins are being listed on sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace and include the Kew Gardens 50p and the King Charles 'Gold' 50p coin. Both coins are described as "very rare" on the listing, with the Kew Gardens one going for £800 and the Gold 50p up for £600.

However, this seems to be on the cheaper side, with coins on the market in County Durham on Facebook and eBay changing hands for £3,000, £4,000, and £5,000.

In one of the descriptions of the items, people have spoken about the "rare quality" of the coins, before listing them for £5,000 - with other coins being seen for as much as £10,000 in other parts of the UK.

The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.

Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.

The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.

Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.

The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.

Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:

Olympic Aquatics (2011), unknown

Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000

Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500

Olympic football (2011), 1,161,500

Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500

Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500

Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000

Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000

Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000

Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500