Battle Of Hastings 50p piece worth £63,000? "Far-fetched" Says Royal Mint

Britain's Royal Mint says 50p coins commemorating one of Sussex's most memorable battles aren't worth "thousands".

Britain's official coin-makers made the rebuttal after widespread media reports, and some on-line evidence, that the commonly-available mass-produced currency, minted in 2016, may have been sold for five-figure sums.

Although More Radio was able to find evidence today (July 3) of large prices being requested, there wasn't accessible evidence that the large sums had changed hands.

The Royal Mint said it wanted to give coin collectors the right information to ensure a fair price is paid.

When the "Battle of Hastings" coin was created in 2016, 6,700,000 were made.

The Mint's head of collector services Rebecca Morgan told us:

"There are occasionally reports of coins selling for large amounts on the secondary market, some of which seem a bit farfetched."

"A coin is ultimately worth what the collector is willing to pay for it, but there are factors you should consider before committing to a price.

"This can include the condition of the coin, its design, mintage figure and what it's made of.

"We have a wide range of resources on our website to help people learn more about the coins in their pockets, and coins they might inherit from family members."

The Royal Mint also offers an individual service to collectors, though at a cost.

As for the coins themselves, they were issued in 2016 to commemorate the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. 

In the design by John Bergdahl, there was evidence of inspiration from the artwork of the Bayeux Tapestry, where its creators depicted the fate of King Harold at the hands of William The Conqueror.

He went on to be crowned the first Norman king of England, thereby changing the course of this country's history.