‘Extremely uncommon’ King Charles 50p coin listed for £1,250 because of this element

The silver 50p piece is described as an ‘extremely rare’ King Charles III 50p coin’, according to the listing where it has been priced at £1,250 for auction on eBay

An ‘extremely rare’ 50p coin has been listed on eBay for a huge £1,250 – and it’s thanks to this minor detail.

The silver coin has collectors scrambling to get their hands on it after it was first released into circulation back in 2022. It’s being sold from a premises in Warrington, Cheshire, and it could be yours for the four figure sum – and an extra 85p in postage.

Change Checker, the go-to gurus and official distributors for The Royal Mint, said: “The 50p features the 2022 date and the reverse design created for the 1953 coronation crown, designed by Edgar Fuller and modelled by Cecil Thomas.”

They also noted: “The obverse bears the first definitive coinage portrait of His Majesty the King.” And if you think £1,250 is steep, other savvy sellers are flogging similar coins on the online marketplace anywhere from £500 to jaw-dropping £8,500.

However, it looks like you could have a rummage through your wallet and purse as you could have one of these ‘rare’ coins in your possession. According to Change Checker, 4.9 million of the King Charles lll 50p coins entered circulation back in 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth’s passing and to commemorate King Charles taking the throne.

It turns out that the place you’re most likely to find the coin – officially known as the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p – is Newcastle. This is after the experts at Change Checker studied their collector map.

Although in the ‘scarcity index’, the 50p coin is seen as ‘common’. Change Checker notes this is due to the coin being fairly new so it hasn’t made its way into the hands of collectors just yet.

However, they note that this is because those who are lucky enough to have the first coin with King Charles lll on might be “reluctant” to part ways with it, due to the potential growing value that has now arisen. It is no longer available from The Royal Mint, which has upped the ante for its scarcity status.

Change Checker predicted that the ‘extremely rare’, to some, coin will cause “quite the shake up.” Judging by the coins listed on eBay, it looks like it’s begun.