Is your 50p coin worth thousands of pounds?

Cha-Ching!

Not too long ago we reported that members of the Great British public were cashing in the big bucks after realising they were in possession of a rare five pound note and started selling them online for thousands of pounds. Although, with shops refusing to accept the new five pound note we aren't too sure what else you could do with it.

Well, it has now emerged that there are also a collection of rare 50p coins in circulation. And if you're lucky enough to have one in your purse then you could cash in on a whooping £3000. Talk about a tidy profit.

So, how do you know if your 50p coin is worth cashing in on? Well there are five rare 50p coins in total so take a look below at what they look like and how much they're worth so you know what to look out for.

Rare 50p Coins London 2012 Olympics

In celebration of the London 2012 Olympics, The Royal Mint released a collection of 50p coins that featured 29 different designs representing the sporting games. Only 600 of the aquatic coins showing water passing over the swimmer's face were distributed before the design was changed. These days the original aquatic design is worth up to £3,000 on eBay! Now that's what we call going for gold.

Rare 50p Coins WWF

This limited edition WWF coin was released back in 2011 and features 50 individual icons representing the organisation, including their iconic Panda at the heart of the coin. The coin is now popular amongst coin collectors and often sells for £200 plus.

Rare 5op Coins Kew Gardens

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of London's infamous Kew Gardens the Royal Mint released 210,000 coins featuring the above design in 2011. It is believed that 300 of these are held in private vaults, whilst others are selling on eBay for a starting price of £50.

Rare 50p Coins EC Commemorative

To celebrate the British presidency of the council of Europe the British Mint issued 109,000 commemorative coins in 1992. These rare 50p coins are no longer in circulation after the 50p coin was reduced in size back in 1997, but they are worth an estimated £20 these days.

Rare 5op Coins Offside Rule

Again to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics this 50p coin explaining the offside rule was created. Unlike the official Olympic 2012 50p piece, this coin is only going for £10. Still a nice £9.50 profit though.