Ebay is home to some of the rarest coin collections, with treasured merchandise being bought and sold among collectors everyday.
A particularly rare 50p coin, depicting a scene from the 1066 Battle of Hastings, has gone on sale on the auction website for £800.
But what is so special about it? The silver 50p coin looks to be in good condition, but only a collector can tell its true value.
The coin has 175 people watching it and has been viewed by seven people in the past hour alone, showing it is very sought after indeed.
The seller, known by the username kubitzi-uk, describes the coin as “a circulated but rare 50 p coin depicting the Battle of Hastings 1066”.
The Royal Mint website tells us a little more about the coin itself, including what makes it so rare among collectors.
“To mark 950 years since the Battle of Hastings, the date that made history, The Royal Mint released this commemorative 50p coin.
“John Bergdahl’s medieval composition expertly captures the essence of the period.”
It goes on to describe the equilateral curve heptagon shape of the British 50p coin as “revolutionary”.
“While this design may have been traditional, the shape of the new 50p coin, an equilateral curve heptagon, was revolutionary.
“This made it easily distinguishable from round coins both by feel and by sight, while its constant breadth allowed it to roll in vending machines.”
Yesterday, a rare 2p coin with the wording new pence on it was listed on eBay priced at the huge sum of £5,000.
While 2p coins are not uncommon, what makes this specific coin popular is the unique wording on it.
Rather than “two pence”, the coin says “new pence” on it – as all coins produced between 1971 and 1981 did.
The coin in question is from 1971, the year the new pence coins began being produced, and this gives it a special status.
The seller, known as obkhan786, refers to the coin as a “unique piece of 2p coin”.
