New coin passes Kew Gardens 50p as UK rarest - and worth 100 times its value

The Royal Mint the Kew Gardens 50p has been dethroned by the Atlantic Salmon 50p

A new King Charles III coin has officially become the rarest 50p in circulation, knocking another valuable piece from the top spot. The Royal Mint said the Kew Gardens 50p has been usurped by the Atlantic Salmon 50p.

This coin was minted to draw attention to the declining population of this particular fish species. The 50p coin began circulating widely at the end of 2023 as part of a new series commemorating King Charles' ascension to the throne.

Until now, The Royal Mint, the official producer of British coins, had not released confirmed numbers on how many Atlantic Salmon coins were distributed. However, it disclosed to The Sun 200,000 were dispatched to banks and post offices across the UK at the end of last year.

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There were 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p coins circulated 15 years ago, making it the rarest of the 50ps for over a decade. But the latest mintage figures from The Royal Mint indicate its position has now been claimed by the Atlantic Salmon 50p.

Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coins 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."

The Atlantic Salmon 50p piece has already proven difficult for collectors to find, with some willing to pay well above face value to secure one.

Many sellers on eBay have seen their coins sell for several times their original worth.

In a recent listing, a seller managed to auction off one of these coins for £51, over 100 times its face value.

The coin ignited a fierce bidding war, attracting offers from 23 interested buyers.

With the Atlantic Salmon 50p now recognised as the rarest 50p coin in general circulation, the updated top 10 list is as follows:.

1) 2023 Atlantic Salmon - 200,000 made.

2) 2009 Kew Gardens - 210,000 minted.

3) 2011 Olympic Football - 1,125,000 minted.

4) 2011 Olympic Wrestling UK - 1,129,500 minted.

5) 2011 Olympic Judo - 1,161,500 minted.

6) 2011 Olympic Triathlon - 1,163,500 minted.

7) 2018 Peter Rabbit - 1,400,000 minted.

8) 2018 Flopsy Bunny - 1,400,000 minted.

9) 2011 Olympic Tennis - 1,454,000 minted.

10) 2011 Olympic Goalball - 1,615,000 minted.

Rare coins have previously sold for thousands of pounds, with collectors eager to add them to their collections.

A coin is typically considered rare if it falls into one of two categories - having a low mintage or being an "error" coin.