A bidding war on eBay has amassed a huge amount of attention – with more of the rogue 50p coins expected to be in the wallets of the nation
Check your change is the urgent message being given to Brits who may be sitting on a small fortune. A rare 50 pence piece, the King Charles Atlantic Salmon, was sold after a bidding war erupted on auction site, eBay. The winner managed to secure the coin for a hefty £107. It’s not known if the new owner will sell it on, or keep it as part of a collection.
While the coin is rare, there’s a good chance some people may have one without even noticing. The Royal Mint has confirmed there are 200,000 of these in circulation as they were distributed to the likes of banks and post offices in 2024. The coin itself features an Atlantic salmon on the reverse, with an interlocking C pattern, incorporating King Charles III on the front. As of last month, it was dubbed the rarest 50p in circulation, overtaking the Kew Gardens 2009 50p which once occupied this title.
This ironic factor matches the fact that salmon numbers are also the lowest on record. Rebecca Morgan of The Royal Mint said: “Finding these special designs, like the Atlantic salmon, in your change is a win for all collectors.” The coin was released to celebrate the King’s passion for the natural world and its conservation. Salmon, known as an endangered species, represents the strain the ecosystems of the world are under. According to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, an annual counting last summer of juvenile salmon was at an all-time low, the biggest drop reported in 20 years.
Most rare coins fetch more money when resold if they bestow an error of kinds. This could be a squiggle mark, or an inaccuracy with the lettering. Some may even fetch more if they have a small dent. But the King Charles Atlantic Salmon 2023 coin is actually worth more in mint condition. Despite one of the coins garnering over £100 on eBay this week, another reportedly sold back in October for nearer the £200 mark, at £195.
For collectors who are looking to pick up their next rare coin, the Royal Mint lists all the lesser-known 50ps in circulation from decades ago, right up until 2024.
