Kew Gardens 50p coin is no longer the rarest 50p coin in circulation

When it comes to spending loose change in your purse or wallet you may never think to look closely at the coins. Over the years people have landed a small fortune from selling coins, you should pay attention to what you might be in possession of before spending.

When it comes to spending loose change in your purse or wallet you may never think to look closely at the coins.

Over the years people have landed a small fortune from selling coins, you should pay attention to what you might be in possession of before spending.

Royal Mint updates its website with the latest coins in circulation, whether that be ordinary coins or special edition. They also shared coins that are considered ‘rare’.

Due to the several special editions that have been released, the 50p coin is a popular option for coin collectors and many can be sold for a lot more than they are worth.

The Royal Mint say the 50p piece is the ideal coin for commemorative designs that celebrate Britain’s most iconic people, events and institutions. A select few of these coins have become some of the rarest 50ps ever struck by The Royal Mint.

The famous Kew Gardens 50p from 2009 was the rarest 50p coin in circulation for close to 14 years. Its design celebrates the famous royal botanical garden with the iconic Chinese pagoda taking centre stage.

The renowned design depicts decorative leafy vines around the pagoda. This coin was an immediate favourite and many went straight into private collections.

A mintage of 210,000 50p coins were minted in 2009 which made this coin highly sought after as soon as it was released into circulation. Today, it is not uncommon for this 50p to sell for as much as £700.

The Atlantic salmon is a recent addition to the rarest 50p coins in circulation today. It was chosen to feature as the focus of one of eight new designs following King Charles III’s accession to the throne.

Atlantic salmon are affected by factors such as river pollution, habitat loss, overfishing and river heating due to lack of tree cover and climate change. This wild fish can be found in very clean rivers in Scotland and Wales, as well as in North and South West England

The Atlantic salmon UK 50p coin entered circulation at the end of November 2023. As this 2023 coin has a low mintage 200,000 coins, this makes it even rarer than the Kew Gardens UK 50p coin.

When the coin entered circulation, the Royal Mint stated: “The coin depicting the Atlantic Salmon has knocked the highly collectable 2009 Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot for the first time, with just 200,000 released to UK banks and post offices at the end of last year. A total of 210,000 2009 Kew Gardens coins were released into circulation 15 years ago.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: “The releasing of mintage figures is an eagerly anticipated event among the coin collecting community – and this year is particularly exciting as we reveal the Atlantic Salmon as the rarest 50p in circulation.

“For the first time in 15 years, the highly collectable Kew Gardens 50p loses its top spot as the rarest in circulation with the Atlantic Salmon 50p splashing its way to number one.”