A RARE 50p coin has sold for 200 times its usual value because it was missing a tiny "mark".
The King Charles Atlantic Salmon 50p was advertised as having "no privy mark" on eBay.
It later sold for a whopping £102 following 23 bids from eager collectors.
A privy mark is a tiny crown symbol stamped onto some coins on the "heads" or "obverse" side - or on the rim.
In the case of the King Charles Atlantic Salmon 50p, first minted in 2023 in celebration of Charles' ascension of the throne, the privy mark is a small Tudor crown.
It can be spotted just behind the King's head.
Only a small number of coins in circulation have a privy mark, as they're only etched onto coins produced for special occasions - such as coronations and jubilees - and for collector's editions.
The limited number of coins with privy marks means they have a greater collectability factor - and are generally more valuable.
But, confusingly, 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p coins are actually more valuable without privy marks.
There were only 200,000 of these mark-less coins put into general circulation, making them even rarer than the Kew Gardens 50p - and therefore extremely valuable.
As well as the recent £120 sale, another example of the same coin this week.
By contrast, you can quite easily buy the version with a privy mark - which were never released into circulation - direct from the Royal Mint.
They are sold as part of "Definitive Annual Sets" for £34.
So, if you come across a King Charles Atlantic Salmon dated 2023 and without a privy mark in your loose change, you may just be in for a hefty profit.
In fact, a bag of these plain-looking coins sold this week for a huge £1,700 after a bidding war.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that rare coins are only worth what a seller is willing to pay for them.
Some collectors may be willing to pay a high amount to complete their collection.
Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds.
If you are lucky enough to find a you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value.
You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers.
These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch's face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note.
Also if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky you could cash in thousands.
For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year was born on one of their notes.
You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick "completed and sold items" and filter by the highest value.
It will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes.
But do bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.
This is also the , you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.
The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay.
Experts from Change Checker recommend looking at "sold listings" to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed.
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records - just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
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