The Britannia Coin Company, based in Royal Wootton Bassett, authenticated and sold the coin to a private collector. The Numismatic Guarantee Company verified its authenticity.
This rare mint error Gibraltar 50p coin features a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II on one side, dated 1990. The reverse side displays a Christmas-themed design with a choir boy and a puppy, a design typically seen on 1989-dated coins, making this coin a ‘mule’—a coin with mismatched sides.
Discovered by a private seller, the coin was consigned to The Britannia Coin Company for sale. Its £4,500 sale price far exceeds that of the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, which is known for its rarity and typically sells for around £250.
Christopher Collects, a coin expert and YouTuber working for The Britannia Coin Company, emphasized the significance of this find. “These non-UK 50ps are already rarer than the ones we are used to seeing in our change,” he said. “As this is the only example of this particular manufacturing mistake that has been found so far, this coin is one of the rarest modern coins out there. Since the error has only just been discovered, nobody has been looking for it, so there could definitely be more.”
Due to the coin’s rarity, Christopher initially suspected it might be a fake. However, its authenticity has been confirmed, and it is now listed in The Numismatic Guarantee Company’s online register of authenticated coins.
Coin experts are urging people to check their spare change, as more of this particular “error” coin may still be in circulation.
