eBay: ‘Rare’ 50p sells for £400 thanks to minting error – have you checked your change?

The 50p labelled “rare” by the seller sold for a huge £414.04 and appeared a popular piece on the site with 20 bids placed.

The coin, like many other 50ps, had a figure of Britannia seated beside a lion, with a shift resting against her right side.

This 50p design was first launched in 1969 and held the inscription ‘NEW PENCE’ above Britannia.

In 1982 the Britannia 50p was then revised with the inscription reading ‘FIFTY PENCE’.

The coin that recently sold on eBay was stamped with the year 1980, suggesting it was an old Britannia coin.

But the ‘NEW PENCE’ inscription could not be seen as the coin had a rare minting error.

The seller wrote in the item’s description: “Spectacular and rare example of a genuine mis struck misprinted 50 pence coin from 1980.

“Relative worked in a bank and this coin was found in a bag of uncirculated 50p pieces at that time.

“We have not had it validated by Royal Mint purely because we want a quick sale but prospective buyers can be 100 per cent assured of authenticity.

“We have been advised by coin experts that it is obviously genuine and that collectors can buy with confidence.”

The most valuable coins are usually those that have low mintage numbers or those with an error.

These are often deemed the most valuable by collectors.

But one “very rare” 50p coin, not native to England, recently sold for £510 on eBay.

It was a 1997 Isle Of Man TT 50p coin – the same shape as a 50p coin found in England.

The coin, with the usual effigy of the Queen on one side, has an image of two motorcycle riders on the other.

How rare is the coin