You could be sitting on a rare 50p coin worth over £200

AN ULTRA rare 50p coin with a specific date that has sold for over £200 could be lurking in your spare change.

An ultra rare 50p coin with a specific date that has been known to sell for over £200 could be lurking in your spare change.

The Blue Peter 50p was minted for the 2012 London Olympics and depicts a high jumper in mid-flight.

The piece was designed by nine-year-old Florence Jackson in 2009 who won a competition run by the popular kids TV show.

Over 2.2million of the Blue Peter 50p coins were issued, with most minted in 2011.

However, 20,000 of the pieces were struck in 2009, which if found in your spare change could be worth a hefty sum.

You'll know if you've got one of the rare 50ps if a 2009 date is printed on the edge of the heads side.

Posting about the coin recently on his account, TikToker TheCoinCollectingWizard revealed how the coin has been known to sell in eBay online auctions for over £200.

He said: "Collectors are keen to get their hands on this piece of history and it's nod to the classic children's television show adds a personal stake to the value for many too.

"It helps when it comes with its original packaging that includes images of presenters from the hit show."It is a brilliant little coin and it is great to see it getting some love on TikTok.

"It is the 2012 Olympic Games 50p coin which features the famous Blue Peter logo on it.

"The story behind this coin is that in 2009, children's TV show Blue Peter ran a competition to design a 50p coin to mark the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

"Nine-year-old Florence Jackson from Bedfordshire was the lucky winner with her design of a high jumper.

"It was going to be sold in 2010 but it never materialised and it wasn't until 2011 that the coin went into production.

"Most of the coins were made in 2011 but a small batch of 20,000 coins were struck in 2009.

"If you zoom into the edge of the coin's heads side you will be able to see the date 2009.

"This is the year that the coin was struck but it wasn't released into circulation until 2011.

"It is a small detail but it makes a huge difference to the coin's value.

"The 2011 dated coins sell in used condition for around £1.

"But the 2009 dated coins are now highly sought-after by coin collectors and they can sell in new condition for over £200 on eBay."

It's worth bearing in mind you might not get £200 if you stumble upon one of these rare 50ps.

What eBay buyers are willing to pay for a rare piece is based on the condition of the coin and packaging, or just how they feel that day.

However, auctions for the coin in recent months have seen it sell for over £200.

One, which received four bids, sold for £202 in January, while another bagged its owner £218 in December.

How to spot a rare coin

A coin is usually classed as rare if a limited amount were minted or an error occurred during the manufacturing process.

A low mintage figure, which is set by The Royal Mint, relates to how many of a coin were made.

Generally, the lower that figure, the more buyers are willing to pay for it because there are less in circulation.

Rarest 50p coins

These are the rarest 50p coins and the years they were first minted, according to The Royal Mint:

You can find out what coins are rare on The Royal Mint's website.

The Change Checker website has scarcity indices too - these tell you how many of a particular coin were minted.

When it comes to error coins, how much you'll get for them varies from piece to piece.

For example, the HG Wells £2 error coin has been known to sell for up to £1,000 in the past.

Bronze 20p coins have been known to sell for up to £750 as well while error £1 coins have been known to go for £1,000s.

How to sell a rare coin

You can sell a rare coin on eBay, Facebook, or at auction.

If you're selling on Facebook, be wary of online scammer and try and get paid in cash if you can.

The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely