The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p is no longer the rarest, the Royal Mint said(Image: PA)

Very specific pattern on 50p coin makes it worth 100 times its value - what you need to look for

One 50p coin is already selling for way above its original value thanks to the rare pattern it shows. This King Charles III 50p coin is now the rarest, the Royal Mint said

by · The Mirror

One popular coin is becoming more and more popular among collectors due to its rare pattern.

The King Charles III 50p coin features an Atlantic salmon. The design, which shows a salmon leaping out of some water on the tails side of the coin, was chosen to highlight the plight of the fish species, which is suffering from a shrinking population.

The coin knocked the “highly collectable” 2009 Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot for the first time in 15 years, the Royal Mint confirmed earlier this month. Just 200,000 of the Atlantic Salmon 50ps have been released to UK banks and post offices, 10,000 less than the 2009 Kew Gardens coin.

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New designs highlights The King’s 'passion for conservation and the natural world'( Image: PA)

The coin is already popular, The Sun reported, with collectors paying over 100 times its original value to get their hands on it. One recent listing on eBay sold for £51.

Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint said: “The releasing of mintage figures is an eagerly anticipated event among the coin collecting community – and this year is particularly exciting as we reveal the Atlantic Salmon as the rarest 50p in circulation. For the first time in 15 years, the highly collectable Kew Gardens 50p loses its top spot as the rarest in circulation with the Atlantic Salmon 50p splashing its way to number one.

“2023 marked pivotal changes for the nation’s coinage, including the introduction of coins celebrating King Charles III’s coronation entering circulation. Finding these special designs, like the Atlantic Salmon, in your change is a win for all.”

The rarest 50p coins( Image: PA)

Last year marked the final chapter of Charles’ transition onto UK coins, with coins commemorating the coronation and new designs across all denominations from the 1p to £2. Each design highlights Charles’ “passion for conservation and the natural world”, featuring wildlife such as the hazel dormouse and bees, the Royal Mint said.

Environmental experts, meanwhile, have warned about the low numbers of salmon in English rivers. A report from the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) released earlier this month found 90% of English salmon rivers are “at risk” or “probably at risk”, meaning fish numbers are below minimum levels to support sustainable populations.

In Wales, all principal salmon rivers are classified as at risk, the report said. The experts behind the report said Atlantic salmon was an “indicator species”, highlighting the health of seas and rivers, and a shrinking population was a warning sign much more work was needed to improve the natural environment.