A rare 50p coin has fetched more than 400 times its face value after an online auction.
The 2009 Kew Gardens piece drew 19 bids on eBay on November 4.
A winning bid of £221.36 landed the coin, with an extra £9.55 buyer protection fee included.
Released by the Royal Mint in 2009, the Kew Gardens 50p had a circulating mintage of 210,000.
It marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
Its reverse shows the Great Pagoda encircled by a climbing vine, while the obverse carries a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Royal Mint ranks the 2009 Kew Gardens coin as the second-rarest 50p to enter circulation by mintage, behind the 2023 Atlantic Salmon.
It says demand for the 50p denomination was low in 2009, accounting for the unusually small number struck that year.
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What makes a coin valuable?
The 50p piece has a seven-sided shape and provides space for commemorative designs.
The Kew Gardens 50p measures 27.30mm across.
A coin's mintage, design and condition can all influence its value, according to the Royal Mint.
An unusually low mintage may mean a coin sells for more than face value on the secondary market.
Condition can also matter, with coins closer to mint condition potentially worth more.
The Royal Mint advises collectors to research secondary-market listings and consult a coin expert if in doubt.
The price paid for this graded Kew Gardens coin does not guarantee the same return for another example.
Royal Mint top 10 rarest circulating 50p coins
Royal Mint figures list these 50p coins among the rarest to enter circulation, ranked by mintage:
- Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,125,500
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
- Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
- Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
- Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
- Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
- Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500
The 2023 Atlantic Salmon coin has the lowest mintage of any 50p issued for circulation, according to the Royal Mint.
Collectors can check the Royal Mint's published mintage figures to find out how many examples of a circulating design were issued.
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