Rare Blue Peter London 2012 50p coin sells on eBay after 26 bids

Blue Peter 50p coin sold on eBay after 26 bids

A rare Blue Peter 50p coin has sold on eBay for £156.20 after 26 bids, the Lancashire Telegraph reported in "Rare Blue Peter Royal Mint 50p coin sells for £156 on eBay" (external source).

The newspaper said the price was more than 310 times the coin's face value. It described the piece as the London 2012 Olympic Games Blue Peter coin.

How the coin was made and why it is scarce

According to the Lancashire Telegraph, the Royal Mint released the coin in 2009 and "only 19,722 copies of the coin were produced". The newspaper said it was the first of the 29 official Olympic 50p designs.

The reverse shows an athlete leaping over a high jump bar. The newspaper said the design was drawn by Florence Jackson, a nine year old who won a Blue Peter competition. The obverse carries the fourth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, by Ian Rank-Broadley.

More than two million standard versions entered circulation in 2011, the newspaper said. It added that the original 2009-dated issue "remains one of the most sought-after modern British coins" and was sold only in commemorative presentation packs.

What the newspaper says drives coin prices

The Lancashire Telegraph said "Rarity serves as the primary factor driving collector demand and market prices." It added that condition matters, with well-preserved coins securing higher prices, and that collectors also prize design errors and striking flaws.

On selling, it said some owners use eBay bidding to test demand, while others ask a professional coin dealer for a formal valuation. The newspaper named the 2023 Atlantic Salmon coin as the rarest 50p design in circulation.