The Rarest 50p Coin in Circulation is the 2009 Kew Gardens Commemorative

The 50p coin in question was released in 2009 to mark 250 years since the opening of Kew Gardens in 1759.

A 50p coin in mint condition, which was released to mark 250 years since the opening of Kew Gardens, has sold for over £165 on eBay.

The coin, which is one of the rarest 50p coins in the UK, was listed on the auction site and attracted multiple bids before selling for the hefty sum over the weekend.

It was recently confirmed that the Royal Mint had made a coin with the motif of the Atlantic Salmon and bearing the King’s portrait, is now the rarest 50p coin in circulation.

Only 200,000 of the Atlantic Salmon 50ps, which are now circulating in the UK, were made by The Royal Mint and distributed to UK banks and post offices.

The coin is one of several new 50p designs launched this year as part of the ongoing 50p coin collection.

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.

Rarest 50p coins in circulation the UK?

The Royal Mint has revealed the most valuable 50p coins in its collection.

One of the rarest is the Kew’s Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design.

The Kew Gardens 50p sells for £156.25 on average, but one seller received over £700 for one when they sold it on eBay.

The other rarest coins stem predominantly from the 2011 Olympics, with the wrestling, football and judo coins among the most valuable. Only 1.1million of each of these coins were produced.

Flopsy bunny and Peter Rabbit designs which were produced in 2018 are also highly valuable.

These coins – 1.4 million of which were minted – depict the characters from Beatrix Potter’s novels and celebrate the life of the English writer and these sell for around £5.

In 2019, 500 million coins were produced, with three new 50p designs.

These included one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Paddington Bear at St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.

Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint