A RARE coin has sold for 279 times its face value after a brutal bidding war – here’s how to spot one in your spare change and make a mint too. The 2009 Kew Gardens coin sold for £138 on eBay this morning after one bidder fought off offers from eight others. This is a super sought after coin – both the design, and the number of coins in circulation, make it a rare coin collectors love. There is a 2019-dated Kew Gardens coin too – but the 2009 version is considered to be rarer and more valuable. The Kew Gardens 50p is second in the Royal Mint’s top 10 list of rarest 50ps, below the 2023 Atlantic Salmon.

Source: The Times December 22, 2025 13:10 UTC