LONDON (CU)_In January last year, the Royal Mint issued its Team GB 50p coin in commemoration of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. However, this coin was updated by the Mint last month after the top international sporting event was postponed by a year. This means that there are only a handful of coins which feature a dual date and therefore experts are of the view that based on past experience, this new 50p coin could turn out to be a good investment.
Back in 2011, the Royal Mint launched 29 different 50p coins, each featuring one of the sports that were to be a part of the London Olympics/Paralympics the following year. While the chances of a person coming across one in their change are quite slim, the rarest and the most valuable 50p that has gone into circulation in Britain is the 2009 Kew Gardens coin, which depicts the nation’s most famous royal botanical garden. The coin is currently worth up to £200 (US$275).
Other coins that are considered to be among the rarest of London are the football 50p coin, which depicts the offside rule, as well as the wrestling 50p coin. The former is valued between £13 and £20 on eBay, and the value of the latter is not far behind.
“Coin collecting remains a popular hobby in the UK, and it’s exciting to find special designs in your change,” the Royal Mint’s director of collector services, Rebecca Morgan, said. “We issued millions of coins in 2011 to celebrate the Olympics and Paralympics being in Britain in 2012, and as the event returns we expect more people will check their change to try and find one.”
In terms of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics 50p coin, the downside is that they are not in general circulation. The commemorative coin, which is only available as a special purchase, starts at £10 on the Royal Mint website.
