An extremely rare 50p piece – a version of which is still among the most sought after coins in circulation – is to go under the hammer next month.

The Royal Mint is hosting its largest ever auction in which some of the UK’s most collectable coins will be available to buy.

But among the highlights is a gold proof Kew Gardens 50p, which is anticipated to sell in excess of £5,000 to £6,000.

The Kew Gardens 50p is one of the most sought-after coins among collectors due to both its scarcity in circulation and as a commemorative coin.

The coin features a design celebrating the nation’s most famous royal botanical garden, depicting the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew with a decorative leafy climber twining in and around the tower.

With only 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p pieces released into circulation for people to use, it is a popular find among collectors, while a total of just 629 gold proof 50p Kew coins were minted.

It also consistently appears in lists calculating the rarest 50p coins which remain in circulation – alongside designs celebrating the work of Beatrix Potter and London’s 2012 Olympic Games.

The Royal Mint’s Auction will be open until 8pm on December 3 and collectors have the opportunity to bid, via its website, for the highly collectable coins.

Also among the 300 lots is a 1 kilo Queen’s Beasts Completer gold coin which pays homage to Queen Elizabeth II and takes its inspiration from the 10 stone statues which lined Her Majesty’s route to Westminster Abbey at her Coronation in 1953. Only 16 coins were minted for this specific coin in The Royal Mint’s auction, making it too extremely sought after among collectors.

Each coin, says the Royal Mint, has been authenticated and valuated by an inhouse team of numismatic experts.

Lucy Mackenzie, Director of Collector Services added: “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.”

Collectors can also submit coins to The Royal Mint auctions by contacting The Royal Mint’s Collector Services team. The team can also offer advice about which auction would be the right fit for specific coins, giving collectors the best chance of achieving the best price for their treasured item.

Earlier this year the rarest - and therefore now most collectable - coins to have been produced during the Queen’s reign were revealed by the Royal Mint.

The list released in August, suggested among the coins to look out for were again the Kew Gardens 50p piece alongside a selection of special alphabet 10ps from 2018 and 2019.

With the final coins bearing Queen Elizabeth’s profile now struck, the country is said to be entering a new era for British coinage as the profile of King Charles is placed on all new releases.