A 50p coin featuring a design error could be worth more than its face value, and it may be hiding in your change. The coin in question is the Benjamin Bunny 50p, struck by The Royal Mint in 2017 as part of the Beatrix Potter collection. While 25 million of these coins were minted, a small batch features a rotation error that makes them valuable.
What Is the Benjamin Bunny 50p Error?
The error occurs when the Queen's head on the obverse (the front) is misaligned with the Benjamin Bunny design on the reverse (the back). Normally, when you flip the coin vertically, the Queen's head should face the same direction as Benjamin Bunny. If it faces any other way, you have found a rare rotation error.
Coin expert @CoinCollectingWizard, who has 273,000 followers on TikTok, explained in a video: "This 50p is an error all because the design is facing the wrong way. The error that's left the Queen's head in a different direction on the obverse design of the Benjamin Bunny on the reverse will have happened in the minting process."
How to Spot the Error Coin
To check if you have the error coin, hold the coin upright so the obverse (Queen Elizabeth's portrait) faces straight up. Then flip it over vertically, from top to bottom. Look at the alignment of Benjamin Bunny on the reverse. If the design appears skewed or tilted rather than standing straight up, you could be holding a rotation error.
Error coins are legal tender as long as the original coin is still in circulation, meaning they can easily turn up in everyday change. The expert advised: "That means you can easily come across one in your change. Often times 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."
Checking Your Change
Tracking down the coin requires sifting through any loose change you have. Coins from everyday cash transactions or bank change are worth scrutinising closely. Every Benjamin Bunny coin you come across must be checked individually, as rotation errors appear at random throughout standard circulation.
