A King Charles III 50 pence coin has sold on eBay for more than £153.

The first coins with King Charles' official portrait on began entering circulation in the UK back in December 2022.

Late last year the Royal Mint unveiled eight new coin designs, reflecting the King’s passion for conservation and the natural world.

These new coins, ranging from 1p to £2, featured designs of:

  • 1p – Hazel dormouse
  • 2p - Red Squirrel 
  • 5p – Oak tree leaf
  • 10p – Capercaillie
  • 20p – Puffin
  • 50p – Atlantic salmon
  • £1 – Bees
  • £2 – National flowers

Five incredible rare and valuable British coins

Do you have a King Charles 50p coin worth more than £153?

The first of these commemorative coins – officially known as definitives – to be released was the 50p featuring the Atlantic Salmon design, entering circulation in November 2023.

These 50p coins are now beginning to sell for hundreds of pounds, with one selling on eBay earlier this month (August 13) for £153.48.

While another one of these King Charles coins sold on eBay back in July for £135.

The Atlantic Salmon 50p has now been labelled by Copes Coins as one of the "most talked about coins in the coin community", according to national reports.

How to get your old coins valued?

A Copes Coins spokesperson said: "The current mintage rumours estimate that only 500,000 of these coins were released into general circulation in November 2023.

"Since then, these coins have become much harder to find in your change, and prices on online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon have continued to rise, fuelling the speculation that the 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p is to become one of the rarest coins to enter circulation in the last 15 years."

King Charles banknotes are also extremely valuable with a £20 note selling at auction in July for £7,000.

First £1 coins featuring King Charles enter circulation

The first £1 coins featuring the King have now also entered circulation.

The first £1 coins featring the King's effigy began cuircualting in the UK this week.The first £1 coins featuring the King have entered circulation in the UK. (Image: Chris Fairweather/Royal Mint)

More than three million of the new designs are expected to make their way into people’s pockets and tills across the UK this week via Post Offices and banks.

The £1 coin depicts a pair of British bees on the “tails” side, in honour of the King’s passion for conservation and the natural world, and Charles’ official coin effigy on the obverse or “heads”.

Director of commemorative coin at The Royal Mint, Rebecca Morgan said: “The Royal Mint has made the circulating coinage of each of Britain’s monarchs since Alfred the Great and it is an honour to reveal that King Charles III’s £1 coin is now in circulation.

“We know there’ll be a buzz of excitement amongst collectors and the public to get this special piece of history in their change.

RECOMMENDED READING:

“We hope the designs across all denominations spark important conversations about the conservation of these important species.”

A total of 2.975 million £1 coins are being issued to banks and Post Offices. 

These new King Charles coins will co-circulate alongside ones displaying the effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II, which will be replaced over time as they become damaged or worn.