A RARE 50p Paddington Bear sparked a bidding frenzy on eBay, selling for £266 due to a surprise error on it.
The coin features the famous bear, known for his love of marmalade sandwiches, standing outside of Buckingham Palace - but there is a big minting mistake on it.
3
3
3
The coin appears to have been struck twice on both sides - which means both designs have "fallen off" the side of each face.
On one side, the Queen's face is not aligned in the centre and there are two inscriptions stamped on the coin around the edge.
The other side has seen Buckingham Palace double up on the left hand side of the coin.
A total of 34 bids were placed for the coin, with the lucky collector clinching the coin at the last minute for an eyewatering £266 - way higher than its face value.
While it's been known for fake error coins to be flogged on eBay for hundreds, Change Checker told The Sun that the coin appears to be genuine.
A spokesperson added that while it is "unusual" to see a coin which has been struck twice, it's "possible that coin may have got stuck during striking or the machines used to press the dies into the metal blanks were faulty".
The spokeperson said: "We'd usuallyadvise collectors to get their coins genuine error status confirmed by The Royal Mint and to provide proof of this when looking to sell their coins."
The Paddington Bear coin that sparked the bidding war was released in 2018.
Rare coins and valuable notes - is yours worth a mint?
Five rarest coins - do you have one?
The 13 most valuable £2 coins in circulation
How valuable are the rarest £1 coins?
Most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation
Rare and most valuable 20p coins that could be worth up to £750
Rarest 10p coins in circulation
Rare 2p coins revealed
How to check if you have a rare and valuable banknote
Another design was issued at the same time, which featured the furry character sitting on his suitcase at Paddington station.
You can also compareother rare coins on eBayto see how much they have sold for as reference, and check you're not overpaying for a rare error coin.
It's not the only rare coin The Sun has spotted going for a lot recently.
A £1 coin with the same striking error wassold for £282.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
GOOD IN-CENT-IVE Louis Walsh reveals HUGE CBB paycheck and it's more than you think
a blow out Watch the shocking moment Love Island’s Davide ‘dishes out hippy crack balloons’
Plus in April, a rare round pound wassold for £155after an error left it with upside down writing on its side.
Meanwhile in February last year, another mis-struck £1 coin was sold for £112 with an error that left the silver-coloured inner part of the poundlooking like a fried egg.
Royal Mint reveals new Winnie the Pooh and friends 50p coin
For example, this Buckingham Palace Paddington Bear coin sold for £266 due to a surprise error. It was struck twice on both sides - which means both designs had "fallen off" the side of each face.
The Paddington at the Station 50p is the most sought after of all the Paddington Bear coins, according to Change Checker's Mintage figures index, with a figure of 5,001,000. Mintage is the term used to describe how many are in circulation.
Coin Value - How much is my Paddington at Buckingham Palace 50p coin worth? The circulation (CIRC) 50p is worth £1. The Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) Paddington at Buckingham Palace 50p was available from £3.99 on issue, in as new condition this BU 50p coin is worth about £4.50.
Why are some 50p coins determined to be rare? One of the most important factors in deciding a coin's rarity and value is mintage – how many of a certain coin were issued. Unique coins with faults, like being struck twice can be very valuable, as they are sought after by collectors.
As the Paddington Bear 50p coins don't have an overall low mintage, they don't actually sell for very much, even though the design is popular for collectors. However, if you have a Brilliant Uncirculated coin (that doesn't usually appear in change), it will be worth more.
The famous Kew Gardens 50p coin remains the most coveted, with a mintage of 210,000, the Mint revealed. Other rare designs include the Olympic-themed 50 pence coins that were minted in 2011.
Four Paddington Bear 50p coins were produced, with two designs, one showing Paddington outside Buckingham Palace and the other showing him waving a Union Jack, released in 2018.
One way in which you can determine what your coin might be worth is to look at the prices it has sold for on eBay. Again, we've made things easy for you by taking the last 9 sold prices achieved on eBay and giving you the median price achieved (rounded to the nearest 50p).
The Paddington at Buckingham Palace 50p was one of two coins released in 2018 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington Bear. The design by David Knapton shows Paddington waiving a union flag outside of Buckingham Palace.
For the 60th Anniversary of Paddington's first adventure, the first of the of the two 50p coins issued shows Paddington, arriving at Paddington station, wearing his famous blue duffle coat and old bush hat. Where he meet's 'The Browns' the family that takes him in. This is where his story begins.
The 2018 UK Paddington 50p has been issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate the iconic 60th anniversary of the British Bear. This coin features Paddington on his suitcase in front of the station, wearing the famous tag around his neck, which fans will know reads 'Please look after this bear.Thank you.'
To find it, you'll need to look at the way Benjamin Button is positioned in comparison to the late Queen. That's because some of the coins contain a rare rotation error which shows Benjamin's head titled further left.
Consign Your Coins to Sell in a Royal Mint Auction. If you have a coin or coins you are looking to sell, an auction can often be the best way to find the right buyer.
One of the easiest ways to tell if a coin is rare is to check the date. If the coin is from before 1800, it's likely rare. Coins minted in the 19th century are also generally considered rare, with a few exceptions. Coins from the 20th century are less likely to be rare, but there are still some that meet the criteria.
The rarest is the Kew's Garden 50p, which was designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009. Only 210,000 coins were ever minted with this design.
The coin's description reads: “An Extremely Rare 50p 2010 coin. “UNIQUE Mis-shapen bottem left star and centre dipressed star is a PERFECT star shape in centre small clover – this is not PERFECT on all coins, it is also a sign of authenticity. “One of the rarest and most valuable 50p coins in circulation.”
Take the adorable Paddington Bear home with these 50p coins. Issued by The Royal Mint, these coins show the bear at some of the UK's top landmarks, including The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral and Paddington Station. The coins are available in Brilliant Uncirculated or Silver Proof Finishes.
Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176
Phone: +6773780339780
Job: Sales Executive
Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing
Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
