This 50p coin could be worth a staggering £3,000 - here's how to spot it

An expert has urged people to be on the lookout for a highly sought after coin that could be worth a staggering £3,000.

An error coin from 2011 could be worth up to an eye-watering £3,500 to the lucky person who finds it. The 50 pence piece was minted to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics.

Millions of the coins were produced, but one small variation found on early editions of the coin could make it particularly valuable.

The coin is known as the "aquatics" design and features an image of a swimmer donning goggles and a swimming cap.

One coin expert took to social media platform TikTok to explain more about the rare coin.

The account, known as UK Coin Hunt, told his followers: “£3,000 for just this 50p, which is absolutely bonkers.”

He explained that the original version of the aquatic design coin included lines meant to represent water covering the swimmer’s face.

Coin collectors should therefore be looking out for the design with these lines to make it valuable.

He continued: “The first one they got approved, then they obviously changed it over where the lines weren't covering the face anymore. But that's a very, very rare coin.”

The coin expert did say it is unlikely to be found in your change, but there is the chance some could be in circulation.

“I would say you’re not likely to find it in your change but there is always a chance that you will see one on the internet and you can buy it but it’ll cost a lot of money,” he said.

“A couple years ago they were only about £1,000 but now they're fetching anywhere from like £2,500 to £3,500.”

At the time of reporting the Britannia Coin Company is selling an uncirculated version of this coin for £3,995.

The website explains: “These coins are eagerly sought by coin collectors and the 2011 aquatics coin, designed by Jonathan Olliffe, is already a fairly rare release.

“In the more common version of this BU 50p the face of the swimmer is clearly visible under the swimming pool waters. In this rare variation watery lines appear across the swimmers goggle-wearing visage.

“Supposedly only 600 of these ‘lines across the face’ Aquatics 50ps were issued before the design was changed making them the rarest base metal 50p ever released.”