Rare 50p coin featuring Sherlock Holmes silhouette is being sold on eBay for over £8,000

The Sherlock Holmes coin - with a pure silver purity of over 90 per cent - is being sold on eBay for over an eye-watering £8,000.

A 50p coin featuring Sherlock Holmes is being sold on eBay for a staggering £8,000 - but most people wouldn't even notice the iconic silhouette.

The coin - which has a purity of over 90 per cent pure silver - is being snapped up by collectors.

The unique coins were minted in 2019 and limited to just 6,000.

The reverse design was created by Stephen Raw and is inspired by the cases, characters and adventures of Sherlock Holmes, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

It was the first time the master detective had appeared on a UK coin.

The Royal Mint produced the coins to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Sir Arthur's birth.

He wrote 60 stories famed around the world and feature Holmes’ sidekick Dr Watson, who helps solve the seemingly baffling cases.

The seller said: "This is an extremely rare Sherlock Holmes fifty pence coin from the United Kingdom, minted in 2019 during the era of Queen Elizabeth II.

"The coin has a fineness of 0.925 silver and features the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes on one side.

"It is sought after by collectors due to its rarity and unique design.

"Fast delivery is available for this special and collectible coin."

And the seller has offered free Royal Mail Special Delivery for the lucky buyer - but it's important to note that no returns will be accepted.

Remember a rare coin is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

Rare coins and valuable notes can be worth far more than their face value - sometimes thousands of pounds.

But sometimes it's just small differences that make them so lucrative.

The most valuable coins are often ones with low mintage numbers or an error.

These qualities typically make them valuable to collectors.

It's always good to remember a rare coin is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.

It might be that someone needs your coin to complete their collection, in which they may be willing to pay more.

There are lots of different factors to consider when trying to value a coin, including its condition and mintage, so it's important to do your homework first.

If you've got a potentially rare coin that you would like to sell at auction, you can contact The Royal Mint's Collectors Service.

This organisation has a team of experts who can help you to authenticate and value your coin.

You will need to enquire via email, and a member of the valuation team will contact get back to you.

Take a picture of your coin and attach it to the email - you can find all the details on The Royal Mint's website.

Be wary that you will be charged for this service though - the cost will vary depending on the size of your collection.