A 50p coin featuring a rare error could be sitting in your change and it's worth a lot more than its face value. The piece, which shows the late Queen Elizabeth II upside down, has caught the attention of coin collectors online and can easily be found in your stash.
According to the @CoinCollectingWizard, the Benjamin Bunny 50p with an error is worth huge money. In a TikTok video, the coin expert said: "If the Queen is upside down on your 50p coin then it's worth 'big money'. This 50p is an error all because the design is facing the wrong way."
How to Spot the Error
The error occurred during the minting process, leaving the Queen's head facing a different direction on the obverse design compared to the Benjamin Bunny on the reverse. To find the error coin, you have to flip it round and check whether the Queen is facing any other way to the Beatrix Potter character.
Although the piece is considered an error, it can still be used legally in the UK. In the video, the expert concluded: "That means you can easily come across one in your change. Often, error coins can sell for a lot more than their face value. So this is definitely something you need to be looking for as it can be easily missed."
What Is the Benjamin Bunny 50p Coin?
While a standard 2017 Benjamin Bunny 50p has a total mintage of 25 million, the rare rotation error might have about 10,000 or fewer in circulation. The non-error version is one of the most common UK commemorative 50p coins ever released, but there are a fair few out there with a tiny and yet noticeable error.
It was issued by the Royal Mint in 2017 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of children's author Beatrix Potter. Created by sculptor Emma Noble, it features Peter Rabbit's cousin Benjamin Bunny standing wearing his signature oversized tam-o'-shanter hat and small jacket. The coin carries the fifth definitive coinage portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.
Although it's common to find a price tag of £4,000 or more, these error coins tend to sell for around £20 to £50 on eBay.
