The Beatrix Potter commemorative coins are considered extremely rare by collectors, despite a few of the collection, including the Tom Kitten 50p and the Tale of Peter Rabbit 50p, having a high mintage when they were issued by Royal Mint. From Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to Jeremy Fisher, coin collectors are often searching eBay for the special edition 50ps, with some prices reaching as high as £1,800. However, experts continue to warn collectors they may be overpaying for these coins, simply to complete their collection. James Constantinou at Prestige Pawnbrokers of Channel 4’s Posh Pawn told Express.co.uk what the Beatrix Potter coins – which were issued by the Royal Mint to celebrate 150 years since the author’s birth – are really worth, and why collectors continue to obsess over them.
He explained: “These coins are highly collectible due to their beautiful illustrative design, to which a lot of people attach a strong sense of nostalgia.
“There has been a lot of hype surrounding these coins, but the reality is that these coins mainly sell for a few pounds (which is of course better than their true monetary value).
“These have been produced in very large quantities; to put it into perspective, last year, a single design from the Beatrix Potter collection had over 2,000,000 coins in circulation.”
Experts have also reminded people to be cautious of paying extortionate prices for these so-called “rare” coins.
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James added: “Although these coins are often advertised online for exorbitant prices, every so often a news outlet publishes an article on a one off which has sold for a considerable amount, but they seldom sell for these prices.
“The coins that sell for high prices are often individuals who enter into bidding wars.
“I would recommend collecting the circulated coins for your enjoyment, or the precious metal proofs should you wish to invest a little more into your collection.”
James also added that the rare coins’ value technically varies depending on how in-demand they are, but they’re sole worth will only ever be 50p.
He continued: “With regards to the circulated or uncirculated coins, they are worth their face value of 50p.
“However, Tom Kitten coins can range anywhere from 1p to £800, Peter Rabbit from 1p to £2,750, Jeremy Fisher from 1p to £800, Benjamin Bunny from 1p to £900 for one coin.”
The expert added: “Most coins you can buy for under £5. You can buy proof coins in precious metals from the Royal mint website.”
The most recent eBay listing of one of these coins was the Mrs Tiggy-Winkle 50p which was up for a whopping £585.
Fifty pence pieces with the iconic character of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle were issued by the Royal Mint in 2016, when the first Beatrix Potter coins were released to celebrate 150 years since the author’s birth.
Mrs Tiggy Winkle was the star of The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog washerwoman who lives in a tiny cottage in the Lake District.
Collectors previously would have been able to buy the coin from the Royal Mint for £10, but they’re no longer available to buy from the site.
The obverse of the coin features a large image designed by Emma Noble of the beloved children’s book character, with the hedgehog’s name etched around the top half of the coin.
According to Change Checker, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle has a scarcity index rating of just one.
This means the ‘rare’ coin is actually classed as common.