Rare 50p coin being sold for £5,000 on eBay as Royal Mint says 'check your change'

His Majesty King Charles III’s 50p coin depicting an Atlantic Salmon has been named as the rarest by the UK’s official coin maker

A rare 50p coin is currently being sold for a whopping £5,086.72 on eBay.

The coin, which features an Atlantic salmon and His Majesty King Charles III, was named as the rarest by the UK’s official coin maker, The Royal Mint.

It knocked the highly collectable 2009 Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot for the first time in 15 years, the Express reports.

In 2013, there were 200,000 coins featuring the Atlantic salmon released to UK banks and post offices. There were 210,000 of the famous Kew Gardens coins released.

As it has the lowest mintage of any circulating 50p coin, it has now got the title of the rarest, making it desirable for collectors.

The coin features a leaping salmon on one side, and a portrait of King Charles III on the reverse.

It was released in 2023 - the first of eight new designs representing flora and fauna to enter circulation - and highlights the king’s passion for conservation and the natural world.

When the mintage figures were announced in October last year, 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.

“2023 marked pivotal changes for the nation’s coinage, including the introduction of coins celebrating King Charles III’s coronation entering circulation.

"Finding these special designs, like the Atlantic Salmon, in your change is a win for all collectors.”

Those who haven't stumbled across one of the coins in their change, may be able to track on down online.

Auction site eBay was a good place to start, with one listing of the rare Atlantic salmon 50p asking for £5,086.72.

Other sellers were asking for £3,000 and £2,000, while there was also listings with bids starting at £1.75, which is still more than double the coin’s value.