Collectors could be set to go crazy for two Beatrix Potter coins struck last year after the Royal Mint revealed they are now the rarest non-Olympic or Kew Gardens 50p coins.
The Flopsy Bunny and 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p were minted just 1.4million times, making them rare when it comes to 50p coins and thus hard to come-by to complete collections.
In 2018, the Royal Mint released the third installment in a series of special coins which featured the characters of beloved children's author Beatrix Potter.
Last year's four coins featured Mrs Tittlemouse, The Tailor of Gloucester, Flopsy Bunny and Peter Rabbit - who as the most well-known character had already been put on 50p coins in 2016 and 2017 and has been put on another one this year.
In 2018 the Mint released the latest in its long-running set of 50p coins featuring characters from the children's novels of Beatrix Potter. The 4 coins meant 13 have now been struck
All 13 coins produced by the Mint so far have been released into circulation, which often gets avid and casual collectors alike excited about the prospect of finding an unusual coin in their change.
However, up until now, none of the coins have been especially rare, meaning those looking to make a profit out of their good fortune may have been left disappointed.
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The rarest is the 2016 Jemima Puddle-Duck - this has been minted a still substantial 2.1million times.
But now the Royal Mint has released the official mintage figures for all 2018 50p coins struck and it reveals that two of the four Beatrix Potter releases are quite rare.
The third, and so far rarest, design featuring Peter Rabbit. Just 1.4m were circulated
Both Flopsy Bunny and the latest iteration of the Peter Rabbit 50p - this time showing the character munching on carrots and radishes - were minted just 1.4million times.
Mrs Tittlemouse was minted 1.7million times, while The Tailor of Gloucester was struck a far larger 3.9million times.
To put the figures in context, the original 2016 Peter Rabbit 50p was minted 9.6million times, while the one released a year later had a circulation of a massive 19.3million.
Meanwhile, a 50p featuring the feline Tom Kitten, part of the 2017 set, which was supposedly selling for hundreds of pounds online, had a mintage of 9.3million.
This is Money was asked by a readerif it was really worth that much, though unfortunately they were likely disappointed by the fact its value was closer to £4 than £400.
Two coins released in 2018 which featured Britain's favourite Peruvian import Paddington Bear were circulated over 5million times each, the Mint's figures also revealed.
The 2018 50p featuring Peter Rabbit's sister Flopsy Bunny. Change Checker's latest scarcity index found this is one of the scarcest 50p pieces in circulation, but does that translate online?
In fact, according to the latest scarcity index from website Change Checker - which ranks special 50p and other value coins by how sought after they are - the 2018 Flopsy Bunny and Peter Rabbit coins are the scarcest non-Olympic 50p coins after the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, minted just 210,000 times.
Many of the coins created to commemorate the London 2012 Olympics are rare themselves, and This is Money previously looked at which ones might fetch a decent sum online.
We discovered the football 50p, depicting the offside rule, sold for the most online out of all 29 designs, with collectors having paid close to £22 for it. It is also the rarest of all the coins, being minted just over 1.1million times.
Change Checker works out which coins are the scarcest based on the demand for a certain coin as well as the ease of getting hold of it, combined with the mintage.
This is why Flopsy Bunny is deemed scarcer than Peter Rabbit, despite them being the struck the same number of times.
The latest Change Checker scarcity index. While the 29 coins created to commemorate the 2012 Olympics dominate the index, some Beatrix Potter coins are present in its top tier
Are these two 50p coins worth more than face value?
Given the Mint's announcement of the mintage of the four 2018 50p coins, and thus confirmation Flopsy Bunny and Peter Rabbit are pretty rare, is a fairly recent one, it might be a little while before the news filters through and affects the value of either of the coins.
According to Coins News' magazine Spend It? Save It?, which works with the Royal Mint and attempts to list the real value of many rare or unusual coins, all four 2018 Beatrix Potter 50p pieces are valued at £5, though this predates the Mint's mintage announcement.
Therefore, next port of call is eBay. Though it's worth being aware when you search for the Flopsy Bunny 50p or the Peter Rabbit one that the auction site often returns listings for uncirculated versions, which are far more numerous, can be bought from the Mint directly, and are not really worth all that much.
Bearing that in mind, there are a couple of ongoing bids for the Flopsy Bunny 50p, with the coin currently sitting at £4.20 with several days left on the bid, meaning it should go for more than the £5 suggested bySpend It? Save It?.
Additionally, when it comes to a straight purchase, Flopsy Bunny is listed for £15.99 and also in a separate listing for £8.29.
Even the lower price of the latter would be 16 times the coin's face value, a decent return.
Meanwhile, 16 circulated coins that have actually sold have gone for a range of sums, anywhere from £2 to £4.50, and are now listed at £9 on the same sale.
And what about Flopsy's sister Peter Rabbit? Given the character is such a well-known children's character, it seems people are willing to pay more of a premium for this 50p, regardless of Change Checker's finding that the other one is more scarce.
One listing found by This is Money details 16 sales of the 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p, with it selling for as much as £9, 18 times its face value.
Meanwhile current bids for the coin are at £4.20 and £5.02, with the latter still having over two days left for the price to increase.
In that situation, that looks as if the coin will exceed the value predicted by Spend It? Save It?.
While it may be the case that the two rabbit 50p pieces will see a bounce once news filters through of their rarity, it seems at the moment it has been a buyer's market, with those lucky enough to get in already perhaps nabbing a bargain, with circulated versions of these pretty rare coins selling for as little as £1.25.
Those sellers will not have known the mintage until now and may have sold a coin for what ultimately is not a particularly big profit.
Well, given the latest mintage figures, they might just be hopping mad at the news.
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FAQs
How much is it worth? Collector Value: £5.25 is a mid-point price for Flopsy Bunny 50p coins marked as sold on eBay UK. The price range for a good condition circulated example of this 50p coin is between £4.71 and £5.68. Coin values based on 187 eBay sales selected from data collected 19/01/2021 19:54:25.
Which Beatrix Potter 50p is the rarest? ›
Mr.
Jeremy Fisher 50p coins Minted. Being one of the rarer Beatrix Potter Characters this coin was popular with Beatrix Potter Fans, but sadly due to so many of these coins in circulation the coin is not worth much more than face value. If you own a Mr. Jeremy Fisher 50p Coin it's not worth selling anytime soon.
How do I know if my 50p is rare? ›
The mintage figure of a coin indicates how many of each was made. If a coin design has a low mintage, this means there are less of it in circulation, making it rarer. The rarest 50p coin designs released into circulation in 2019 were the 50p Sherlock, 50p Paddington at the Tower, and 50p Paddington at St Paul's.
How much is my Beatrix Potter 50p worth? ›
The first coin as part of the 2016 set, the portrait coin shows a bust of Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit, perhaps branches of plants from Mr McGregor's vegetable garden. There were 6,900,000 minted. What is this? The Beatrix Potter 50p coin is now worth around £2.
How many Beatrix Potter 50ps are there? ›
This means there are fifteen Beatrix Potter 50p coins to collect and now we're delighted to see a brand new £5 coin has been added to the mix.
How much is my 50p worth 2022? ›
Coin Value - How much is my Pride 50p coin worth? The circulation (CIRC) 50p is worth £1. The Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) 50 Years of Pride 50p was available from £4.95 on issue, in as new condition this BU 50p coin is worth about £4.50.
What are the top 5 rarest 50p coins? ›
Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000.
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500.
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500.
- 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.
Beswick and Royal Albert Figurines especially, since they are no longer in production, have become very desirable collectible items. It is interesting to note that it was Beatrix Potter herself who first sought to have her creations lifted off the printed page and into other marketable products.
What is the rarest coin to look for? ›
The 1849 Double Eagle is currently the rarest and most valuable coin in the world, with an estimated worth of nearly $20 million.
Which 50ps are worth keeping? ›
Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000 minted.
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500.
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500.
- Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500.
- Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500.
- Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000.
- Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000.
One quick way to determine if a coin is rare or valuable is to look at the mintage. That's the number of copies of the coin that the US mint produced (aka issued). The lower the original number of copies printed, the more valuable a coin will likely become.
How can I tell if I have a rare coin? ›
Inspect the Mintmark. The date and mintmark are the easiest way to diagnose valuable rare coins. Errors in these two key areas can still be found in circulation, and they could score you a fortune. Re-punched or over-punched mint marks are one winning discovery, as is doubled text.
How much would Beatrix Potter be worth today? ›
Potter built a retail empire out of her “bunny book” that is worth $500 million today.
Which 2 coins are valuable? ›
The rarest £2 coins
The most sought-after is the Northern Ireland version, of which there are only 485,500 in circulation. It has sold for way more than £50 on eBay previously. While the England and Scotland editions are the second and third most rare and valuable £2 coins in the UK respectively.
How to sell rare coins? ›
The obvious place to sell your old coins is your local coin shop. They will be your best bet for selling low- to mid-range old coins like Wheat cents, Buffalo nickels, junk silver, and scarce silver coins and silver dollars. Check online reviews and feedback for coin stores in your area, and choose a couple to visit.
What is the second rarest 50p? ›
Coming in at second place for the rarest 50p is the Judo Olympics coin, released in 2011 as part of a 29 piece collection to celebrate the Olympics in London in 2012. Designed by David Cornell, the coin features an image of two athletes mid throw in a Judo tournament.
What year coins are worth keeping? ›
All quarters minted before 1965 are worth their silver value. All Standing Liberty quarters have a premium above that value, except for well-worn coins. Among Washington quarters, only the 1932-D and 1932-S have a significant premium over the silver value.
What are the top 10 rarest 50p coins? ›
Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000.
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500.
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500.
- 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.
Money That Sells: 8 Prized U.S. Coins in Circulation
- 1943 Lincoln Head Copper Penny.
- 1955 Doubled Die Penny.
- 1982 No Mint Mark Roosevelt Dime.
- 2004 Wisconsin State Quarter With Extra Leaf.
Let's start with the most valuable pennies minted in the USA.
- S Lincoln Penny – $105,800. ...
- 1944-D Lincoln Penny on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet – $115,000. ...
- 1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny. ...
- 1872 Indian Head Penny – $126,500. ...
- 1969-S Lincoln Penny–Doubled Die Obverse – $126,500. ...
- 1926-S Lincoln Penny – $149,500.
Beatrix Potter's books are notoriously difficult to date.
As a result reprints can resemble the original book. First editions are usually dated at the foot of the title page in the imprint or publishers details. Later editions have no date in the imprint.
Which Red Rose tea figurines are rare? ›
"Most of them average around $5 apiece, depending on their condition and rarity," Murrin said. He said the rarest figurine he is familiar with is the cream-coloured gingerbread man, which can run in price from approximately $20 up to $100, for one in mint condition.
What coin is worth $1000000? ›
The $1 million Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin is a novelty coin, if there ever were one, and it tips the scales at a whopping 100 kilograms or about 220 pounds. Only six of the nearly pure gold coins have ever been made, as of December 2022, and each has a face value of $1 million.
Is there a free app to scan coins for value? ›
The Coinoscope mobile app makes coin identification and valuation easy - just snap a picture of a coin with your phone camera and the app will show you a list of similar coins. It is fast and accurate.
What is the oldest coin you can find? ›
The Oldest Coin in the World
According to different scholars, the Lydian stater is considered the world's oldest coin still around. Made of a mix of gold and silver called electrum, these early coins were minted around 600 BCE in the kingdom of Lydia in the modern country of Turkey.
Should you clean old coins? ›
This is never advised for the general public. There is no benefit to attempting to clean a collectible coin. Copper never re-tones to its original color and look anyway. Put down the polish before you destroy something historical and throw away a fortune.
How can you tell if a coin is a solver? ›
The best way to determine if your coins are silver is to view the edge of the coin. If the coin has a solid silver stripe, then you can feel confident that it's silver. If you can see a copper stripe, then the coin is clad.
What coins are worth thousands of dollars? ›
The top 10 most expensive coins are in this article, including the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, Brasher Doubloon, Edward III Florin, Umayyad Gold Dinar, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, 1943 Liberty Head V Nickel, 1894-S Barber Dime, Lincoln Head Copper Penny, and 1893 Morgan Silver Dollar.
What makes a rare coin rare? ›
Generally, the higher the grade, the higher the state of preservation, the more valuable the coin is. And the third variable that determines the value of a coin is demand. There are coins that are always in high demand, there are coins that are rarely in demand, and then there are coins that are cyclical.
How much is the tale of Peter Rabbit 50p worth 2017? ›
Coin Value - How much is my Peter Rabbit 50p coin worth? The circulation (CIRC) 50p is worth it's Face Value (FV) of fifty pence. The Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) Peter Rabbit 50p was available from £3.99 on issue, in as new condition this BU 50p coin is worth about £4.
In her will she left everything to her husband, William Heelis, and on his death her fifteen farms, numerous cottages, and over 4000 acres of land to the National Trust.
What is the rarest 1 pound coin? ›
According to the blog ChangeChecker, the rarest one pound coin currently in circulation is the Edinburgh £1. The coin was part of a series depicting the four capital cities of the UK and is the only £1 coin with a mintage below one million.
What are the 10 rarest 2 coins? ›
Here's which coins came up trumps and how much circulated versions - the ones cropping up in your change - have recently sold for on eBay.
- London 2012 Handover - £53. ...
- Olympic handover - £13. ...
- King James Bible - £18. ...
- London Underground Roundel - £8. ...
- Mary Rose - £8. ...
- 2015 First World War (navy) - £18. ...
- Magna Carta - £22.
The ten most rare £2 coins
- Commonwealth Games - Northern Ireland (2002), Mintage: 485,500.
- Commonwealth Games - Wales (2002), Mintage: 588,500.
- Commonwealth Games - England (2002), Mintage: 650,500.
- Commonwealth Games - Scotland (2002), Mintage: 771,750.
- Olympic Games Handover to Rio (2012), Mintage: 845,000.
The coins feature author Beatrix Potter's famous furry character, Peter Rabbit, and a number of them were put into circulation in 2016 and 2018. It is one of the rarest coins going - and has been known to sell for hundreds of pounds.
Is the 1940 Battle of Britain 50p worth anything? ›
As it's a relatively common coin, Battle of Britain 50p pieces aren't hugely lucrative. Despite their stunning design, they tend to sell for only around £1 to £1.50 on eBay. That's still a decent return of two to three times the coins' face value - so if you've got plenty of them, you can make money.
What is the Peter Rabbit 50p piece 2017? ›
The 2017 Peter Rabbit 50p coin was issued as part of the second series of coins celebrating the life and work of Beatrix Potter, and features the most loved character from 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit'. Struck by The Royal Mint for circulation, this coin has proved to be extremely popular with coin collectors.
How much is a rabbit 50p worth 2017? ›
2017 Tom Kitten 50p
One of 4 Beatrix Potter Tale of Peter Rabbit 50p coins released in 2017, this was one of the largest quantities minted with 9,500,000 being released. This coin however can fetch between £2 and £3 depending on the condition when resold.
What is the rare one penny? ›
If you have heard of only one rare coin, there is a good chance that it is the 1933 penny. For some reason this coin, more than any other, has lodged itself in the public consciousness. Indeed, people have spent a lifetime sifting through their coins in a vain attempt to find one.
Which 50p coins are worth a lot of money? ›
Top 10 most valuable 50p coins, according to Royal Mint
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000.
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500.
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500.
- 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.
Since its issue, the 50p coin has commonly been used to commemorate important events. From as early as 1969, The Royal Mint has regularly issued unique reverse designs on the 50p for events such as the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings, the 50th Anniversary of the NHS and the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Is Mrs Tiggy Winkle 50p rare? ›
There were around 8.8 million Mrs Tiggy-Winkle coins minted in 2016. That puts it among the more common coins, meaning it's more likely to crop up in your change. There are around 200 million 50p coins in circulation in total, so Mrs Tiggy-Winkle accounts for a fair proportion of them.
