Rare 50p coin sells for over £160 - and there are many more hiding in purses

The coin was involved in a furious bidding war over on eBay earlier on this month, and there are plenty more hiding out there in piggy banks and purses.

A rare 50p coin has sold for over £160 online, after a furious bidding war took place earlier this month.

There are plenty of coins that are worth so much more than their face value, and this particular piece is worth over 320 times its original estimation, reports the Liverpool Echo. This 50p is estimated to be worth approximately £140, so this seller has made more than expected.

The coin was released back in 2009 to mark 250 years since the Kew Gardens opened in 1759. The Royal Mint estimated that around 210,000 of these 50ps were made.

The coin features the famous Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Gardens on the tails side, and the late Queen's face is on the heads side.

According to the eBay listing, this coin is a "Rare 2009 Kew Gardens 50p Coin In good Circulated Condition Found In Garden", and the listing began at just £1.

However, a furious 26-way bidding way began, and the final price landed at an eye-watering £160.21. The lucky buyer also had to pay £4.79 for postage and packaging, so they paid £165 by the end of it all.

There are an estimated 210,000 of these coins still in circulation, so if you do find one in your purse or piggy bank, there are a few checks you have to cover.

First, check the date on it, as the Royal Mint reissued the same design in 2019 to celebrate 50 years of the coin - and this version doesn't tend to sell for as much as the originals.

However, the 2019 version does fetch for £70 or £80 on eBay, so you could still make some money on this simple coin.

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