Britons are being urged to check their pockets for a rare 50p coin that could be worth up to £150. The coin, known as the Kew Gardens 50p, was released in 2009 and is the second rarest 50p in circulation in the UK.
In a post on social media, an expert called the Coin Collecting Wizard described the coin as a “true change checker’s dream”. He said the piece, featuring an image of the Chinese pagoda at Kew Gardens in London, is a favourite among collectors and “not an easy find at all”. The coin’s value depends on condition, with some selling for around £150.
The Royal Mint confirmed that only 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p coins were released into circulation, and most are now in private hands. It stated that collectors “go crazy” for the design, created by Christopher Le Brun RA, which shows a leafy climber twining around the pagoda. The low mintage is attributed to low demand for the 50p denomination at the time of release.
However, in 2023, the Kew Gardens coin lost its title as the UK’s rarest 50p to the new Atlantic salmon design, which commemorated King Charles III’s ascension to the throne. Despite this, the Kew Gardens 50p remains highly sought-after among numismatists.
