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Checking your change could reveal a 50p coin worth hundreds of pounds.
The Royal Mint has shared details of the rarest 50p designs currently circulating across the UK.
More than 70 variations of the seven-sided coin have entered circulation since decimalisation in 1971.
What makes a 50p piece valuable
The 50 pence piece is the largest British coin in circulation, with a diameter of 27.5mm providing space for commemorative artwork.
Collectors look primarily at mintage figures, which show the total number of coins struck for each design.
A coin's physical condition and the presence of any minting errors also alter what buyers are willing to pay.
Valuations vary depending on whether an owner sells directly through an online auction platform or consults a specialist coin dealer.
Kew Gardens and Olympic sports
Among the most sought-after releases is the Kew Gardens 50p, created in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of the botanic gardens.
Only 210,000 copies of the Kew Gardens design were made, giving it an average resale price of £156.25 and peak auction sales above £700.
Several designs produced for the 2011 London Olympic Games also rank high, including wrestling, football, judo and triathlon coins with mintages near 1.1 million each.
Beatrix Potter coins depicting Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny from 2018 had mintages of 1.4 million each and typically sell for around £5.
In 2019, around 500 million coins entered production, including designs featuring Sherlock Holmes and Paddington Bear at St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London.
The 10 rarest 50p coins by mintage
The lowest mintage on record belongs to the 2023 Atlantic Salmon design, with 200,000 coins produced.
Kew Gardens from 2009 ranks second with 210,000 coins.
Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:
- Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
- Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
- Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
- Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
- Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500