Brits have been told they could have valuable coins hiding in their change. And these 50p coins could be easily missed as on the surface, there’s nothing particularly special about them.
They feature the common shield design which has been found on millions of coins over the last 15 years. It forms part of a wider design that also includes 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, and 20p pieces. When arranged in the correct order these coins will create a shield.
However, there is something which sets 50p coins apart. It’s all about the year they were minted, which is displayed on the coin.
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While 50p coins with shield designs will be ten a penny, those made in certain years will be more rare and could be worth up to £80, the Mirror reports. Collectors will often hunt for rare coins that have low mintage figures, making them hard to find.
Speaking on TikTok, an expert known as the Coin Collector UK, revealed which 50p coins to look for. He said: “You can get up to £80 pound each for these shield 50ps that you can find in your change.” The shield design on these 50ps was first introduced in 2008.
The shield design found on many 50 pence pieces.
(Image: Getty)
Some shield 50p coins were never released into general circulation and instead exclusively issued in annual coin sets. These are sometimes opened and spent, putting them into circulation. Experts at Change Checker explained: “Despite the Royal Shield being the definitive UK 50p design for a 14 year period, not every year saw them entering circulation.
“Royal Shield 50ps dated 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2021 are particularly special, because they were never intended for general circulation.” In his video, the coin collector explained that the coins to look for are from 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2016, with the latter being the most valuable. He continued: “So we have 2009, 2010, and 2011.
“These all sell for between £30 and £40 each. I’ve been lucky enough to find one 2009, two 2010s and also two 2011s as well in my change.”
However, the 2016 coin is the one you really want. “Another date to be looking out for, I don’t actually have this one to hand, is the year 2016. So when you flip the coin it’ll say 2016 the date up there, that’s actually the most valuable.
“It goes for about £60 to £80.” He added: “Another one I’ve been lucky enough to find is a 2018 shield. This one again about £30, £40 maybe even £45. And the most recent one to be looking out for is the year 2021 currently selling for about £20 to £25.”