Rare 50p coin you may have sells for £153

A rare 50p coin has sold for more than 305 times its original value after sparking a bidding war online. Collectors often look out for certain coins, with some worth huge sums of money.

And one lucky eBay seller has had an exciting payday after selling a 50p coin for £152.72. Kew Gardens 50ps were minted in 2009 to commemorate the garden's 250th anniversary. The Royal Mint produced approximately 210,000 of these coins, which feature the iconic Chinese Pagoda on one side and the late Queen Elizabeth II on the other.

Listed on eBay as "2009 Elizabeth II 50p Fifty Pence Coin, Kew Gardens, Circulated, Rare" the item had a starting price of £60. However, an 18-way bidding war soon got underway, with the price pushed up and up to £152.72.

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The buyer then had the choice between free collection from Manchester, paying £2.26 for click and collect, or paying £3.42 for direct delivery. Experts believe there are still thousands of these coins in circulation, so it could be well worth checking in purses and wallets, and even down sofas.

If you do find a Kew Gardens 50p, the first thing you should do is check the mint date on it. This is because a later batch were produced in 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the 50p, and these coins don't tend to fetch as much.

That said, these later 2019 coins have been known to go for up to £80 on eBay. According to the Royal Mint, these are the most valuable 50p coins currently in circulation:

• Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
• Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
• Olympic Football (2011), 1,125,500
• Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
• 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