A rare Christmas themed 50p coin has sold for over £150 on eBay and there are thousands more out there.
The festive coin, from 1998, features an image of Santa and a chimney with the word “Christmas” at the top comes with a matching commemorative card, having never been placed into full circulation.
It sold for £151.25 on eBay last month-following a ten-day bidding war with 24 bids placed on the rare coin before finding a buyer
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Despite its high price, this particular Christmas coin was actually minted in Gibraltar-meaning it is technically not legal tender in the UK.
The Mirror Reports it was also never released into circulation, instead being designed as a commemorative piece.
According to change checking website Coin Hunter, this particular Christmas 50p coin has a mintage of 30,000.
On its scarcity index, which ranks coins in terms of how rare they are, Coin Hunter ranked this design as 65 out of 100.
Coins that are rated 100 are the hardest ones to find, with a lower number representing a more common mint.
Christmas coins are likely to be worth more in the run-up to the festive season with collectors looking to add some rare seasonal pieces to their collection.
In its description on its website, Coin Hunter says: “Coins struck for Gibraltar since 1997 have been produced by Pobjoy Mint and Tower Mint.
“Coins may be struck for circulation and/or commemorative packaged products.”
If you’re thinking about buying a coin on eBay-as with anything-you should always do your research first to make sure you’re not bidding on a fake.
Last week, the ECHO reported on a 50p coin selling for £286-570 times its value.
The coin, part of a Blue Peter competition to commemorate the London 2012 Olympics, was part of a rare mint from 2009.
