I thought my Benjamin Britten 50p was worth £3,000…
One of the most regular questions we get at Change Checker is: “I have a Benjamin Britten 50p – how much is it worth?“.
There’s no doubt that the Benjamin Britten 50p was somewhat overlooked when it was first released and it is amongst the slightly more scarce coins in circulation.
2013 Benjamin Britten 50p
In his busy life, Britten compiled an impressive and diverse body of work. Since his death in 1976, Britten’s reputation as one of the greatest musicians of the age has continued to grow.
This Benjamin Britten 50p was issued to commemorate the centenary of his birth in 1913, and features celebratory words from Tennyson set against a double stave – referencing the piano on which Britten was a virtuoso.
But how much could your Benjamin Britten 50p be worth?
If you’re looking for a brilliant uncirculated version of this coin in good condition for your collection, you might expect to pay up to £10 – maybe even a little more. However, if you want a normal circulation quality Benjamin Britten 50p – I would hold on as it will eventually turn up in your change for 50p.
So why are they being sold on eBay for extortionate prices?
Sadly, the answer is that eBay is not always a fair indicator of value. Anyone can list anything for any amount. So those who come across a slightly unusual coin (like the Benjamin Britten 50p) may list it on eBay for an outrageous price, and once in a while, a naïve customer will pay the price.
It’s not just the Benjamin Britten 50p…many others including the 2006 Brunel £2, 2005 Gunpowder Plot £2 and the 2014 Trinity House £2 coins have also been listed for crazy prices.
Safe eBay buying tips
We would always suggest caution and user discretion when buying and selling on eBay. To get a more realistic idea of what your coin could potentially sell for, view the ‘sold listings’ on eBay to see the actual prices buyers have been willing to pay, although there is still no guarantee that these sales have all actually gone through.
So to help you get the most out of your money, we’ve created 5 eBay buying tips:
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Bring Back the UK £5 Coin for £5
1,000 lucky collectors have the chance to own the UK £5 for its face value – £5 for £5
£5 coins are the UK’s flagship coin. But since 2012, the Royal Mint has stopped offering them at face value. And we think that’s all wrong.
Which is why we’ve secured a stock of 1,000 NEW UK £5 coins struck to mark HM Queen’s 90th Birthday that we’re offering to collectors for their face value – £5 for £5.
First issued in 1990, £5 coins are usually reserved for commemorating Royal
occasions. But many others also commemorate significant British anniversaries, and they are a favourite among collectors because of their interesting designs and are viewed by many as one of the UK’s flagship coins.
Sign the Petition to bring back the £5 coin for £5
Unfortunately, a £5 coin hasn’t been issued by the Royal Mint for its face value since the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics in 2012. For us, and I’m sure other Change Checkers, this has been incredibly frustrating.
Which is why we’d like to see The Royal Mint offering the UK £5 for its face value again.
Do you agree? Click here to sign our petition to Bring Back UK £5 Coins for £5.
The ONLY way to own Britain’s new UK £5 for £5
Click here to find out how you can own the 2016 UK 90th Birthday £5 for it’s face value.
The Diamond Jubilee coin that never was
It has been revealed that a special six-sided coin was very nearly released to commemorate one of the most significant celebrations in British history – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The coin was on the verge of being created and almost sent off for Royal approval when the proposal was rejected by senior staff at the Royal Mint.
Along with the selection of different £5 coins that were issued by the Royal Mint to mark the momentous occasion in 2012, this six-sided coin with a denomination of 60p could have also been part of the collection.
Although the Royal Mint has refused to release an image of the proposed coin, it has been revealed it would have been a bi-colour coin and issued as a commemorative collectable rather than for general circulation.
We almost had a 60p coin and it would have looked like a coin gone mad https://t.co/JpFp0vtYAv pic.twitter.com/eWNmWNmVkt
— Mike Wright (@MikeJGWright) December 31, 2015
Unfortunately the idea for the coin was abandoned as papers from the Royal Mint Advisory Committee has revealed the commemorative coin programme was already ‘sufficiently comprehensive’.
It has been assumed the Royal Mint believed the coin would be of great public interest to mark an event of huge national importance and in a letter to Mr Osbourne in 2011, suggested the occasion should be marked with more than one type of commemorative coin.
So what do you think? Would you have liked to see a 6 sided 60p coin issued in celebration for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee or were you happy with the coins released?
Let us know your thoughts via Facebook, Twitter or comment below!