Hundreds of rare 50p coins being sold on Ebay for over £150

Around 28.9 billion UK coins estimated to be in circulation Credit: PA

Collectors have taken to Ebay as hundreds of rare Kew Garden 50p coins have been put on sale.

The Royal Mint is encouraging people to rummage through their loose change to discover whether they have a rare 50 pence piece.

It is said that only one in 300 people is estimated by the Mint to have the Kew Gardens coin in their possession after it was released into circulation in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The coin, which is said to be £20, is selling on the online marketplace for as much as £300 and more.

Here are some of coins on the higher end of the market:

In the description, the seller attempts to justify the price of the coin:

Described as 'mega rare' by the seller. Credit: zoerich2008/Ebay
A coin with a less than descriptive advert is still selling for as much as £130. Credit: mlew6283/Ebay

The Mint is inviting people to share a photo of their Kew Gardens 50 pence on the Mint's Facebook page or on Twitter at #strikingstories.