An expert has urged Brits to keep an eye out for a “super rare” 50p coin that could be worth a staggering £2,000. This piece is highly sought after by collectors if it features a specific design.
The coin in question is the 2011 Olympic aquatics 50p. It was produced by the Royal Mint to commemorate the 2012 London Olympics.
On the reverse of the coin, which is better known as the tail side, will be the image of a person swimming through water. However, “one tiny detail” on certain editions of the coin make it far more valuable than others.
In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, a content creator known as the Coin Collecting Wizard, explained how to spot the mistake. He said: “Look out for this 50 pence as there is a rare version worth all this money.
“This is the coin to look for and the secret is all in the face. This is the 2011 Olympic Aquatics 50p – one of 29 coins released for the London games but there’s a super rare version that collectors are obsessed with.”
According to the expert, the important detail can be found over the swimmer’s face. He said: “Look closely at the swimmer’s face. The common one shows the face normal, just like this example.
“The rare version has wavy water lines going over the swimmer’s face like this. It’s called the ‘lines over face error’ and it was quickly corrected, making those first few releases super limited.”
He further stated that one of these error coins sold for more than £2,000 in a private sale.
“That’s a 50p coin turning into a holiday, a new laptop or half a car,” he added.
“Just remember that the regular version is just worth 50p. You need to see those swimming lines over the swimmer’s face to be rich. One tiny detail – one massive payday.”
It is thought only around 600 of the “lines over face” coins were made before the design was changed. However, RWB Auctions says that it’s more accurate to say that the design of the coin was “tweaked” rather than there being an error.
Its website confirms: “These 2011-dated coins regularly sell for more than a thousand pounds.” In 2024 RWB sold an example of the coin for £1,500.
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