COINING IT
Watch as coin expert shows rare detail on first edition 50p coin that makes it worth £2,000
There's a common and ultra-rare version of the same coin - see how they differ
A COIN expert has given an insight into a unique detail of a 50p coin that makes it worth up to £2,000.
Barry Graham, who has a passion for collecting coins, shared a video on TikTok about a rare 50p coin that could be worth up to £2,000 due to an error made in the production of the first edition.
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Barry explained in his video that in 2011 there were many Olympics 50p coins released to mark the major sporting event held in London in 2011, including millions of pieces of the Aquatics 50p.
In his video, he showed the detail on the swimmer's face that makes this coin so rare and invited his followers to comment if they have it.
But the collector explained that the "Lines Over The Face" Aquatics 50p is especially rare because the first edition had lines over the swimmer's face.
He said: "Find this 50p and make an easy two grand - but it must be a first edition."
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Barry said the high price tag is due to the fact that not many of these rare coins have been found.
He also shared an image of the common version of this 50p coin, which has no lines on the swimmer's face.
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A person commented on TikTok: "Got one."
Others said: "I have one."
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And someone added: "My mum has this one."
Over the past 10 years, Barry has collected all sorts of money, circulated and uncirculated.
The 37-year-old collector, from Sunderland, told The Sun that he has an entire room dedicated to his "very large collection" including "uncirculated, circulated and proof coins including gold and silver".
The coin expert, who also describes himself as a history enthusiast, goes by the name of "Coin Collecting Wizard" on social media and regularly shares details on some of the rarest coins that could see you pocket quite a bit of money.
The coin collector said: "I enjoy the hobby very much and also know this will be my children’s inheritance one day too."
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The "Lines Over The Face" Aquatics 50p coin never actually entered circulation and only an estimated 600 were made, but is still highly sought after.
Last year, the rare coin sold for £2,500 at auction, with the seller saying: "The 2012 Olympic Games AQUATICS 50p coin is a genuine NGC MS66 graded ultra-rare piece.
"Selling a pair of these coins, one with the lines over the face, and the other is the replacement design with the lines removed.
"Both are in NGC capsules, and both are MS66 graded. Both are in mint, uncirculated condition."
The error coin sold for £1,500 in a recent auction run by RWB, based in Wiltshire.
Kimberly Day, coin expert from RWB, said: "Only a few hundred examples with this rare design variation are believed to have been released.
"We're delighted that this coin has raised such a sum, it's a fair price for such a rare coin and we believe it's value will only increase over time."
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Colin Bellamy, from , previously said: "The first version of the 2011 Aquatics 50p with water lines over the swimmers face was only sold in Royal Mint packs - before it was withdrawn and replaced with the version that can be found in change."
While the coin can sell for a fair few quid if you find one, Colin warned about "fake" versions.
He said: "On many fakes – the letter C in pence is more open than on the genuine coin."
Make sure you're keeping an eye out in your spare change for the 50p coin - it could earn you hundreds of pounds.
Bear in mind though, a coin is only worth what the buyer is willing to pay and you might not always get hundreds of pounds for it.
For example, we spotted one of the Aquatics 50p coins selling for just over £80 on eBay recently - and the piece received a total of three bids.
Another, which received a total of three bids, sold for just £5.
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How to spot a rare coin
A coin is usually considered rare if it has a low mintage figure - this is set by The Royal Mint.
A mintage figure relates to how many of a coin were made, so the lower it is the rarer the coin is.
You can find out what coins are rare and how they look on The Royal Mint's website.
But some are also considered rare due to manufacturing errors, like the Aquatics error 50p.
They have been known to sell for hundreds of times their face value because there are so few of them.
If you want to find out if your coin was made incorrectly, you can check out our list of rare coins here.
Meanwhile, you can use websites like changechecker.org which regularly posts about error coins.
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How to sell a rare coin
When it comes to selling a rare coin, there's a number of ways you can do it, including through Facebook, eBay or in an auction.
But be wary of the risks. A number of people have been targeted by scammers on Facebook.
Crooks say they're planning to buy the item, and ask for money upfront for a courier to send to your home.
But you end up sending free cash to them and they never have any intention of picking your item up.
It's always best to meet in person when buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace and in a public place.
And most sellers prefer to deal with cash directly when meeting to ensure it's legitimate.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction. You can organise this with The Royal Mint's Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
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You will be charged for the service though - and the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.
Lastly, you can sell rare coins on eBay - but it does charge you 10% of the money you made, including postage and packaging.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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