Rare Benjamin Bunny 50p error coin sells for 80 times face value on eBay – can you spot it?
AN ultra rare 50p coin which hides a not-so-obvious error has sold on eBay for 80 times its face value.
The Benjamin Bunny coin was sold on October 23 after a bidder offered £40 for the seemingly unremarkable piece of loose change.
The Benjamin Bunny 50p is one of four coins that were released in 2017 to celebrate famed author Beatrix Potter.
Coins featuring Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten and Jeremy Fisher were also released as part of the collection.
A batch of the Benjamin Bunny version was minted with a curious rotation error – as Queen Elizabeth’s head can be seen pointing in the wrong direction.
The portrait is supposed to point in the same direction on the obverse as the Benjamin Bunny design on the reverse.
The error has previously seen the value of the coin skyrocket to over £250.
TikTok influencer CoinCollectingWizard has previously explained the minting oddity – and instructed his viewers how to spot it.
He said: “If the Queen is upside down on your 50p coin then it’s worth ‘big money‘. This 50p is an error all because the design is facing the wrong way.
“The error that’s left the Queen’s head in a different direction on the obverse design of the Benjamin Bunny on the reverse will have happened in the minting process.”
He added: “When you flip it round, the Queen should be facing the same way Benjamin Bunny. If the Queen is facing any other way, then you have found a rare rotation error worth money.
“Error coins are still legal tender so long as the original coin is still in circulation too.”
“That means you can easily come across one in your change.
“Often times error coins can sell for a lot more than their face value. So this is definitely something you need to be looking for as it can be easily missed.”
With 25 million of the Benjamin Bunny coins minted in total, the errorless version is unlikely to fetch more than about £2.60.
Could I be quids-in with a rare error coin?
Often times error coins will sell for a lot more than their face value.
In April a rare £1 sold for £155 because it had upside down writing on its side.
Plus in February last year, another mis-struck £1 coin was sold for £112 as it had an error that left the silver-coloured inner part of the pound looking like a fried egg.
Error coins are still legal tender – so long as the original coin is still in circulation too.
That means you could easily come across one in your change.
Get an imperfect coin verified by the Royal Mint, and you could then place a value on yours if you come to sell.
It will also let you know if your change is legitimate or not as unfortunately there are many fake coins in circulation.
Online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are helpful to see how much it could be worth too.
Plus, the number of bids on the listing can help you establish that the coin is the real deal as well.
The Benjamin bunny error coin only had two bids placed on the listing, so many coin experts will be sceptical of whether it actually sold for the price it said it had.
Also remember that if you’re selling on eBay, you need to keep in mind that a buyer could pull out as well which means it won’t have sold for the price that it says it has.
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