The challenge to collect every design of 50p coin has become a popular pastime in recent years – with the Beatrix Potter release proving particularly hard to complete.

Now, coin collecting website 'The Great British Coin Hunt' plans to make a version of Peter Rabbit the rarest coin in circulation ever, when 400 originally non-released ‘Peter Rabbit 2019’ 50p pieces go into general circulation around the United Kingdom, including the south west.

 

The coins created by the Royal Mint were created to be commemorative only, to be bought for £10, and were not designed to be released into general circulation.

As a result, the 2019 stamped coins will be particularly hard to come by, due to their low quantity.

The 400 coins are currently being distributed at various locations all over the UK, which it is hoped will be completed by the end of the month.

The first 20 have already been released and the team will be using volunteers to get a wide distribution around the UK.

There are certain criteria that have to be followed, including that the machines must be placed into a machine, not used to pay a person, to ensure that they are fully ‘found’ at random. This is to prevent the risk of the coin only making one transaction before being found.

Ian Lambert, who owns The Great British Coin Hunt, has called for people from Cornwall to get involved so that at least one of the coins makes it to the county.