50p coin sells on eBay for £400 because of ‘error’

A 50p coin which was released just 10 years ago in 2010 has sold on eBay for £400 thanks to a printing error.

The coin was one of 7.4million released into circulation to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Guides.

Because there are so many Girl Guide 50ps in circulation they are not considered rare or valuable.

But the seller listed this coin with an unknown printing error – and it was sold for £400.

According to The Mirror, the Girl Guiding fifty pence piece launched in 2010 and was designed by Royal Mint architects Jonathan Evans and Donna Hainan.

The reverse of the coin features the famous three-leaf ‘trefoil’ logo, which is the global symbol of Guiding and represents the three-fold promise.

A normal version of the Girl Guide 50p can be picked up for around £4. The rarest 50p in circulation is the 2009 Kew Gardens one, with just 210,000 minted.

In 2018, a Girl Guide 50p was listed for £825 on eBay due to an apparent error – with the seller saying the stars had been misshapen in the printing process.

If you think you have a valuable coin, the best thing to do is ask the Royal Mint to check that it’s genuine.

While it won’t be able to tell you how valuable it is, it can provide you with a letter to confirm its authenticity.