“Is my grandson correct in his enthusiasm about possessing a 2017 50p with Peter Rabbit on it?” writes John B.

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Coins can be fun to collect. But like all collectables, keep them for their interest, not their value.

There are reports that a 2016 (not 2017) Peter Rabbit 50p coin was sold for hundreds of pounds. And there are some 2017 Peter Rabbit 50ps on sale — but not bought — for even more; eBay is not the most reliable guide to what something is worth.

A coin’s value is only what another collector will pay for it at the time.

As a pre-decimal teenage bus conductor, I used to rummage through my bag looking for a 1933 penny of which, we were told, only six were made.

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That was not quite correct, but one example did turn up in 2016 and fetched £72,000.

The Royal Mint likes to tempt us with special coins at very special prices.

Several — from D-Day to Sherlock Holmes — are due out in 2019. All such coins are minted in the millions. The only guarantee is that they are worth their face value.

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Email your questions to paul.lewis@radiotimes.com

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