King Charles Atlantic Salmon 50p coin sells for £46

Lots of people find rare and valuable coins and sell them on to try and make a few quid so it’s worth checking what’s lying around your home.

An eBay seller in Leyland listed an Atlantic Salmon 50p coin and got more than 92x its face value for it.

With 17 bids, the coin which features the fish and the King’s portrait, caused a mini-bidding war on the online auction site.

This 50p coin sold on eBay for more than £45 (Image: eBay) This coin is one of eight designs that reflect the King’s passion for conservation and the natural world and the Royal Mint previously said it expected the coins to enter circulation by the end of 2023.

The collection features different designs on coins ranging from the 1p to the £2.

The Atlantic Salmon 50p coin, which is currently the Royal Mint's most valuable 50p coin, sold for £46.04 and the seller said the coin is “in perfect condition”.

Released in November 2023, the coin is the first Charles III definitive.

Which other coins are in the collection?

The designs are inspired by flora and fauna, celebrating creatures such as the red squirrel, the hazel dormouse and the bee.

• 1p – Hazel dormouse
• 2p – Red squirrel
• 5p – Oak tree leaf
• 10p – Capercaillie
• 20p – Puffin
• 50p – Atlantic salmon
• £1 – Bees
• £2 – National flowers

The description of the Atlantic salmon 50p coin issued by the Royal Mint says: “Wild populations are low due to factors such as river pollution, habitat loss, river heating and overfishing.

“They can be found in clean rivers in Scotland and Wales along with those in North and South West England.”

The items you should collect to make the most money

At the time the designs were unveiled, the Royal Mint said the designs, officially known as definitives, marked the final chapter of the King’s transition onto coinage.

Royal Mint top 10 most valuable 50p coins

Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable 50p coins, when they were made and how many were minted:

1. Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
2. Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
3. Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
4. Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
5. Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
6. Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
7. Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
8. Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
9. Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
10. Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500

What makes a coin valuable?

The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.

Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.

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The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.

Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.

The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.