So I thought my 50p coin was worth £800…

One of the most regular questions we get at Change Checker is: “I have a Benjamin Britten 50p – how much is it worth?“.

There’s no doubt that the Benjamin Britten 50p was somewhat overlooked when it was first released and it is amongst the slightly more scarce coins in circulation.

2013 Benjamin Britten 50p

In his busy life, Britten compiled an impressive and diverse body of work. Since his death in 1976, Britten’s reputation as one of the greatest musicians of the age has continued to grow.

This 50p was issued to commemorate the centenary of his birth in 1913, and features celebratory words from Tennyson set against a double stave – referencing the piano on which Britten was a virtuoso.

If you want a good brilliant uncirculated version of it for your collection, you might expect to pay up to £10 – maybe even a little more.  If you want a normal circulation quality coin – I would hold on.  It will eventually turn up in your change for 50p.

Why?

Well the answer is that they have just seen the exact same coin listed on eBay for over £800.

ebay

How can this be so?

Sadly, the answer is that eBay is not always a fair indicator of value.  Anyone can list anything.  So if you have a slightly unusual coin – like the Benjamin Britten 50p – list it on eBay for an outrageous price.  Once in a while a naive customer will pay the price – however…

The seller’s profit – £799.50.

It’s not just Benjamin Britten – there are others… including the 2006 Brunel £2, 2005 Gunpowder Plot £2 and the 2014 Trinity House £2 coins.

We would always suggest caution and user discretion when buying and selling on eBay. To get a more realistic idea of what your coin could potentially sell for, view the ‘sold listings’ on eBay to see the actual prices buyers have been willing to pay, although again there is still no guarantee that these sales have all actually gone through.

So to help you get the most out of your money, we’ve created 5 eBay buying tips:

Change Checking is fun.  Make sure it stays that way!


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Coutts confirm coins as the 3rd most lucrative ‘hobby investment’

Coutts – bankers to the Queen – have confirmed coins as the third most lucrative hobby investment over a ten year period. 

The Coutts Passion index tracks the rate at which the price of hobby investments has risen, and its increase of 80% between 2005 and 2014 proves that there is money to be made for those who decide to turn their hobby into an investment.

And it’s great news for coin collectors, as old coins rank as the 3rd most lucrative hobby. Last year prices for old coins grew at a rate of 9% and over the 10 year period between 2005 and 2014 they have risen a staggering 176%

A spokesman for Stanley Gibbons explained that the enduring popularity of coins is down to their “tangibility and literal link to money, wealth and precious metals”. He added: “Unlike other passion assets they are straightforward for storage, servicing and insurance”.

Kew Gardens 50p A

The Kew Gardens 50p often sells for up to £30 (60 times its face value)

Change Checkers will be particularly pleased with the news, given that their hobby is also very affordable.

With coins like the undated 20p and the Kew Gardens 50p which can simply be found in loose change, the return on their investment stands to be even higher in percentage terms!

Classic cars were ranked as the most lucrative investment, and last year a new record was set when a 1962 Ferrari sold for £24m at auction in California. But just in case you don’t have millions of pounds lying around, coin collecting is not a bad alternative!


The most lucrative ‘hobby investments’ over 10 years

  1. Classic cars
  2. Old Master and 19th Century art
  3. Old coins
  4. Rare musical instruments
  5. Post-war and contemporary art
  6. Jewellery
  7. Rugs and carpets
  8. Impressionist and modern art
  9. Stamps
  10. Fine wine
  11. Traditional Chinese works
  12. Watches

Ultimate Guide: The Top 10 Rarest Coins in Circulation

Have I just found a rare coin? It’s a question which collectors ask daily, and to help answer it, we’ve put together these charts showing the TOP 10 rarest coins for each of the four denominations on the Change Checker App.

How does your coin stack up against the others?

The Northern Ireland 2002 Commonwealth Games is the rarest £2 coin currently in circulation – in fact the four designs in the 2002 Commonwealth Games series can be found in the top ten chart. Others to look out for include both 2008 and 2012 Olympic Handover Two Pound Coin designs and the 2015 Royal Navy £2.

The rarest One Pound coin currently in circulation is the Edinburgh £1 – have you ever spotted one in your change? The Royal Arms is a common design which is sometimes ignored, but remember to look out for one with a 2008 date – that’s actually the fourth rarest.

A chart showing the rarest £1 coins in circulation

The Olympic Fifty Pence series is very popular with Change Checkers, but in terms of rarity, there really isn’t much separating the top 10 designs. The Football ‘Offside Rule’ 50p was certainly one of the most talked about designs, and it also narrowly ranks as the scarcest.

The top 10 rarest designs in the famous Olympic sports 50p series

As mentioned in our previous blog the rarest coin, of any denomination, is the Kew Gardens 50p. Its status as the most scarce coin has been well publicised, and as a result, many are hoarded by collectors. The chart below illustrates just how rare it is compared with other Fifty Pence designs.

 

Hopefully our charts will help you identify which coins you should be looking for in your loose change, and remember you can Find, Collect and Swap all your coins for FREE with the Change Checker App: www.changechecker.org/app

 


 

Add this year’s most sought after 50ps to your collection!

Own the 2018 Paddington 50p coins in Brilliant Uncirculated quality and give this adorable British bear a home! Just £3.99 each (+p&p) >>


Which coins are missing from your collection?