DATA carried out four years ago showed how much the rarest and most valuable 50p coins were for collectors, but how much are they worth now?

Money site ChangeChecker has published its latest scarcity index, which tracks and reveals the most sought-after coins across the UK.

A spokesperson from ChangeChecker in 2020 said: "Regardless of where they feature on the above index if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself lucky.

"This is because they are particularly hard to come by in circulation and each design has a relatively low mintage (just 220,000 of each design released in 2018 and 2.1 million overall in 2019)."

For 50p coins, it is recommended that you keep your eyes peeled for the limited edition Olympic 50p coins released in 2011, ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Back in 2020, the rarest 50p was the 2009 Kew Gardens coin, and it still is one of the rarest coins in 2024. Since this is such a valuable and rare coin, there will also be plenty of fakes going around.

In 2019 a commemorative Kew Gardens coin was reissued, which was not released into circulation.

According to Change Checker data, the rarest 50p coin in 2024 is the Atlantic Salmon 50p. Only 200,000 of these coins were released to UK banks and post offices.

The Atlantic Salmon 50p knocked the legendary Kew Gardens coin off the top spot – for the first time in 15 years earlier this year.

29 new 50p coins were struck (one for each Olympic sport) to mark the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

The designs for the Olympic Sports Collection were submitted by the public in response to a competition run by The Royal Mint.

With the coins "designed by the nation", 27 people had their designs selected - including two people with two designs each.

The most expensive 50p of the lot is the 2011 London Olympics Aquatics – lines over face version.

Designed by Jonathan Olliffe in 2011, the first version of this coin had the water lines printed across the swimmer's face.

This was later changed, making the ‘lines over face’ version of the coin a sought-after rarity. It’s estimated that only about 600 were ever minted.

The Britannia Coin Company is selling one of these 50p coins for £3,995.

UNC stands for "uncirculated" and refers to a coin that has never been used as currency and is in mint condition.

Speaking about the Atlantic Salmon coin becoming the most expensive 50p coin, a spokesperson from ChangeChecker said: "Collectors are in a frenzy, desperately scouring their chance to get their hands on this rare beauty before it’s too late.

"Some lucky few have already struck gold, listing their Salmon 50p coins on eBay for as much as £23 to £50.

"That’s more than 50 TIMES its face value!

"But hold on tight – with this latest shocking revelation, those prices are expected to skyrocket.

"Since the news broke this morning, the price of Salmon 50ps on the secondary market has soared, with some selling for nearly £150."