A ‘rare’ Beatrix Potter 50p coin is on eBay for a staggering £13,000

Thanks to the release of limited edition coin collections, loose change is sought after now more than ever.

In 2017, the Royal Mint released a second Beatrix Potter collection – the first round of coins were brought out in 2016, to mark 150 years since the birth of the iconic British author.

But one 50p piece from the 2017 set is proving to be considerably more coveted than the others.

A seller from the UK is flogging the Benjamin Bunny commemorative coin for a staggering £13,213.

The 50p piece was the seventh and final coin in the 2017 series, and was the first and only coin to feature the character.

Benjamin Bunny first appeared in tales in 1904, in ‘The Tale of Benjamin Bunny’, the sequel to the classic ‘Tale of Peter Rabbit’. 

The seller, who goes by the username rod-line-and-music, describes it as a “Rare 2017 Beatrix Potter Benjamin Bunny 50p coin.”

The listing says: “You can buy this rare 2017 Beatrix Potter Benjamin Rabbit Bunny 50p coin.  

“This coin comes direct from Mr McGregor, sold to you by Mr McGregor.

“Knowing you have this coin in your pocket is a great opportunity.”

“It’s a great chance to get closer to the Beatrix Potter world – and hold a very interesting coin,” the seller adds.

The sale is covered by eBay’s Money Back Guarantee, so if the coin isn’t in the condition it’s described in when it’s delivered, the buyer will either be refunded, or auction site will “make sure that you get the item you ordered”.  

See the bid on ebay.co.uk.

According to the Royal Mint, the 50p piece has a mintage of 25,000,000 but it isn’t the most rare coin from the 2017 collection – the Tom Kitten 50p piece has a much lower mintage figure of 9,500,000. 

Coin investments: what to look for 

According to consumer experts Which? Money , here’s a guide of what bidders should look out for when buy coins:

 
• Broadly speaking, there are three types of purchasable coin – and only one is designed for investment purposes. Numismatic coins are rare, often old, and usually originally minted for circulation rather than for collectors. They’re collected by coin specialists (known as ‘numismatists’). It’s sometimes possible to make money from them, but the numismatists we spoke to discouraged buying them as an investment.

 

• By contrast, bullion coins are a relatively straightforward way of acquiring gold as an investment. They aren’t really collectable in their own right (though the designs can be attractive) and can generally be bought at a margin of 3% to 5% over the value of the gold they contain.

 

• Occupying a middle ground between these two categories are collectors’ or commemorative coins – the main focus of our investigation. They can be solid gold or silver, gold-plated or base metal, and you can buy them from the Royal Mint and other private companies.