50p Coins - Collecting The Olympic Designs

That is a fantastic idea, one that I will try out

You could try what I have been doing.

Withdraw £100 in 50p pieces from your bank, sort through and take out those you want, make up the value back to £100 and pay it back in ( at another bank, because I did not have the cheek....)

I have been doing this about once a week for ages. At first I found around 20 olympic coins per 200. Recently it has been down to around 5-6. As a bonus, I have found the odd Isle of Man 50p, some Jersey ones and one blank flan which somehow escaped into circulation. (I have not found a single kew gardens 50p like this).

Something else I have done for a while is ask for the olympic 50p coins in change every time I bought something. These also have been disappearing.

I suspect that people are beginning to hoard them.

Doing all this I got 26 out of the 29, and ordered the last 3 from ebay. ebay is just too expensive to get the whole lot, prices varying from £1.50 or so upwards for just one 50p coin!!

I went to the bank and asked for some change today (I dont bank there and the cashier seemed like she was very reluctant so I asked for a smaller amount than planned) I asked for $40 in £2 and £20 in 50p's. From the £20 there were no olympic ones at all (a WWF one and a couple of other commemorative ones I already had) I was looking for 2008 Brittania reverse (I have always put away any new coins as they come out but didnt realise there were 2 varieties of 2008)

They didnt have any £2 coins, which was a shame because I am looking for a king james bible one so I took some £1 coins just to see if there were any mint ones to upgrade a couple of beaten up ones I have (2004 and 2006 look like they have seen heavy usage)

I then went in the bookies and played the slot machine to get rid of the change and ended up doubling my investment.

Anyway with the 50pences I realised it would be hard to find them all in my change so instead I bought a set from a dealer, they are all packaged and with cards and uncirculated. Far more expensive than collecting from change but at least they are all mint and I have them all now. If you are in retail or work with money a lot goes through your hands daily and you stand a chance, if you don't handle cash in your line of work or you are a schoolboy then its going to be a big ask to get what you need without help.

I have all 29 50p, all either found of got for not much above face value - except the darn weightlifting coin which I ended up buying 10 at £1.50 each....
What's surprising is that the weightlifting 50p sell for more on ebay (coin plus post) than the brand new packs from the mint.

Mary Rose and Bible £2 coins are out - not found here yet.

We have been getting around £200 per week ever since the Olympic 50p first came out. Only now have we finally got a set! Weightlifting and football were the elusive ones! Also looking for the Cities £1 coins and the new £2! All for 10 year old son because he cannot afford the sets from the mint! Also he likes to gloat over his collection and it is easier and more impressive if the 50ps are all on one sheet! Things we do for our kids!

yet to find are 2011 Shield 50p (none seen dated later than 2008 apart from those in sets), 2011 Edinburgh £1, 2011 Shield £1
2012 only 2p and 5p out so far.

Rowing and boxing are the rarest 50p's.The Kew Gardens was initially recorded as 10,000 minted but this was a mistake.They still make a few bob on ebay.Just ask a friendly till worker to keep a few back for you.