The Royal Mint is due to auction a selection of valuable and sought-after coins.

Collectors will be able to bid for a gold proof Kew Gardens 50p, estimated at £5,000 to £6,000 and a Queen’s Beasts one kilo gold coin which could fetch as much as £90,000.

Due to its scarcity in circulation and as a commemorative coin, the Kew Gardens 50p is a highly desirable coin.

It features a design celebrating the botanical garden, depicting the pagoda at Kew with a decorative leafy climber twining in and around the tower.

East Lothian Courier: The Kew Gardens 50p is a highly desirable coinThe Kew Gardens 50p is a highly desirable coin (Image: The Royal Mint/PA Wire)

In 2009, a total of 629 Kew Garden gold proof 50p coins were minted.

The Queen’s Beasts coin pays homage to Queen Elizabeth II and features the 10 beasts side-by-side in a single design.

The design was inspired by the 10 stone statues which lined the late Queen’s route to Westminster Abbey at her Coronation in 1953.

Only 16 of these coins were created by the Royal Mint and the one being auctioned is estimated to sell for in the region of £80,000 to £90,000.

East Lothian Courier: The Queen’s Beasts coin pays homage to Queen Elizabeth II and features the 10 beasts side-by-side in a single designThe Queen’s Beasts coin pays homage to Queen Elizabeth II and features the 10 beasts side-by-side in a single design (Image: The Royal Mint/PA Wire)

More than 300 lots are up for sale at the auction with each coin having been authenticated and valuated by the Mint’s team of numismatic experts.

Collectors can bid until December 3 and they can submit their bid by visiting the Royal Mint’s website.


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Lucy Mackenzie, director of collector services said: “Over recent years the Royal Mint has successfully expanded into auctions, offering rare and coveted coins which have been sourced by our team of experts.

“This month we will host our largest auction to date, offering collectors around the world the chance to own a piece of British history, authenticated by the original maker of UK coins.”

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The Royal Mint’s Collector Services Business Division was set up in 2018 and continues to experience significant growth in the UK and internationally, the Mint said.

The Mint hosted its first auction in 2021, offering one-of-a-kind trial pieces to collectors.

If collectors want to submit coins to the Royal Mint auctions, they can contact its collector services team.