AN EXACT word on your 50p coin could make it worth 700 times more as the rare coin sparks a bidding war on eBay.

The unique coin is said to be a must-have for collectors, selling for a whopping hundreds on the online auction site.

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The rare 50p coin was issued in 2005 and features Samuel Johson’s Dictionary which saw its value skyrocket.

The wording on the back of the coin makes it a unique piece of British decimal coinage.

What adds to this coin’s value is its rarity, making it a sought-after item that collectors are eager to obtain.

The auction on eBay revealed that four bidders attempted to snap up the rare coin which eventually sold for a staggering £350.

The seller received 5-star reviews from buyers who left enthusiastic comments praising the rare coin.

“A+ pristine coin as advertised,” wrote one user.

Another commented: ” Great quality for coin collectors at a great price.”

While a third said: “Beautiful coin.”

It comes after a 50p coin proved to be a “true gem” thanks to its key details.

The loose change rattling around in your pocket could be pieced together to form the Royal Shield of Arms design but it seems many people are unaware of this.

Matthew Dent redesigned the UK’s coins 16 years ago and now those designs are being replaced with the new UK coinage for King Charles III.

It was decided in 2005 that the country’s coinage was due an overhaul and The Royal Mint ran a competition for the public to submit their designs for the new-look coins.

Some 4,000 designs were submitted and The Royal Mint Advisory Committee selected Matthew Dent’s Royal Shield designs as the winner in 2008.

The Royal coat of arms details a shield divided into four quarters representing England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Matthew’s winning design replaced Christopher Ironside’s Britannia depiction originally on the reverse of all 50ps.

Matthew said at the time: “I felt that the solution to The Royal Mint’s brief lay in a united design, united in terms of theme, execution and coverage over the surface of the coins.”

Using all the coins ranging from the 1p to the 50p, they fitted together rather like a jigsaw and formed a complete shield – as could be seen on the £1 coin design issued from 2008 to 2015.

The old round pound was then replaced by the 12-sided Nations of the Crown £1 in 2017 and have now been withdrawn from circulation.

However, the definitive 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p shield coins are still in circulation, which means the Royal Shield can still be collected and completed, Change Checker says.

To help you get started you can obtain your own Royal Shield Collector Pack which comes with the Royal Shield 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 20p, so all you need to look for is the 50p in your change in order to complete it.

How to sell a rare coin

If, after checking, you realise you’ve come across a rare coin, there are a number of ways you can sell it.

You can sell it on eBay, through Facebook, or in an auction.

But be wary of the risks.

For example, there are a number of scams targeting sellers on Facebook.

Crooks will say they’re planning to buy the item and ask for money upfront for a courier they’ll be sending around.

But it’s all a ruse to get you to send free cash to them – and they never have any intention of picking your item up.

It’s always best to meet in person when buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace.

Ensure it’s a public meeting spot that’s in a well-lit area.

Avoid payment links and log in directly through the payment method’s website.

Most sellers prefer to deal with cash directly when meeting to ensure it’s legitimate.

The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction.

You can organise this with The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service. It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.

You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.

You will be charged for the service, though – the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.

Meanwhile, you can sell rare coins on eBay.

But take into account that if you manage to sell your item then eBay will charge you 10% of the money you made – this includes postage and packaging.

Always keep proof of postage to protect yourself from dodgy buyers who may claim they never received the item.

Send the parcel by tracked delivery if you can as this way they can’t claim it never arrived.

A MUCH-LOVED bargain shop chain is pulling the shutters down on one of its stores in just a few hours.

The Original Factory Shop confirmed the closure of another location in Kent.

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The discounter, known for its bargain prices, is closing its branch in Deal today, Saturday 28.

TOFS said the site, labelled “brilliant” by shoppers, will be shutting at the end of September.

The retailer thanked local shoppers for their support over the years.

A spokesperson from The Original Factory Shop said: “After the landlord informed us that they were redeveloping our Deal store, we were unable to renew the lease.

“We want to remain in town and our property team would consider any alternative suitable sites. We are working hard to support all of those colleagues that will be affected and seeking to redeploy them across our business.”

The shock closure has left several local customers devastated, although the trader maintains around 190 branches nationwide.

One Facebook user said: “Such a terrible end to such a popular store.

“Obviously, this has not been a business decision as business was good, but another sign of the times.”

A second wrote: “Another piece of history and friendly staff gone.”

A third commented: “I love this shop. I go to Deal, from Dover, regularly the main reason being the factory shop.

“Don’t think I will be shopping at Deal much after it closes.”

Another posted: “Oh no another brilliant shop closing but why? Love that shop.”

While a fifth said: “Such a shame. It was affordable and you could always get something good.

“Now probably destined for townhouses and artisanal deli’s selling £4 sourdough bread.”

“That’s awful news,” another declared.

The closure is down to the building being redeveloped and the chain being unable to renew the lease.

After the Deal store closes, three of The Original Factory Shops will remain in Kent: Tenterden, Biggin Hill and Headcorn.

Other The Original Factory Shop closures

The Deal store closure is not the only one to be announced by The Original Factory Shop this year either.

It has already pulled the shutters down on seven stores in recent months:

• Brightlingsea, Essex
• Bodmin, Cornwall
• Chepstow, Wales
• Fakenham, Norfolk
• Harwich, Essex
• Mildenhall, Suffolk
• Padiham, Lancashire
• Taunton, Somerset

It comes after the retailer, known for selling everything from clothing to homeware and stationery, shut a number of branches last year.

But it’s not all bad news, as it has been opening stores across the UK too, as it shakes up its presence on the high street.

The full list of stores that have opened since August 2023 includes:

• Kirkintilloch – opened August 24
• Stonehaven – opened August 31
• Blandford Forum – opened August 31
• Haddington – opened September 7
• Wetherby – opened September 7
• Nairn – opened September 14
• Ashbourne – opened September 14
• Castle Douglas – opened September 21
• Penrith – opened September 21
• Inverness – opened September 28
• Attleborough – opened September 28
• Ayr – opened October 5
• Ringwood – opened October 5
• Perth – opened October 12
• Lanark – opened October 19
• Peterhead – opened October 26

Retail woes

Other retailers, such as Homebase, Boots, and Clarks, have been reducing the number of their high-street branches.

Rising rents, energy bills, and the cost of living have also caused many retailers to fail.

Several big retailers have fallen into administration in the past year, including Wilko, Paperchase, and most recently, The Body Shop and Ted Baker.

The Body Shop collapsed into administration on February 13, putting its almost 198 branches at risk of closure.

Since then, it has closed down 82 locations.

However, it’s not all bad news for the high street, as several other retailers and hospitality venues have plans to expand.

Beer giant Heineken announced plans to invest £39million to help reopen 62 previously shuttered British pubs.

Aldi has announced that it will open 35 new UK stores.

The openings form part of Aldi‘s long-term target of 1,500 stores in the UK.

The supermarket is set to invest £550million in expanding its UK footprint this year alone.

Aldi said each new store opening will create around 40 new jobs on average.

In recent months, Asda has been opening hundreds of convenience stores as it seeks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

B&M plans to open “not less than” 45 brand new stores across the UK in each of the next two consecutive years.

Purepay Retail Limited, the parent company of Bonmarché, Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM), and Peacocks, has said it wants to open 100 new high-street stores over the next 18 months.

It has yet to give the exact locations where it will open the 100 stores or when they will open.

One of the UK’s favourite bakery chains, Greggs, has exclusively revealed to The Sun plans to open more outlet branches by the end of 2025.

Home Bargains, which was running just under 600 branches as of last June, has said it wants to “eventually have between 800 and 1,000 retail outlets open”.

The major discounter has stopped short of saying when it wants to reach the 1,000 store target, however.

Primark is also opening new branches and investing and renovating more than a dozen of its existing shops.

Screwfix is set to open 40 new stores nationwide as its owner, Kingfisher, seeks to expand the DIY brand’s national presence.

The brand opened two new stores in March, and a further three new shops will open this month.

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A “Coupon King” has tracked down the cheapest Quality Street boxes you can find ahead of Christmas – but you’ll need to be quick to get hold of them.

Self-professed “tightwad” Jordon Cox revealed where Brits can pick up the festive favourites at almost half the price they will be by the big day.

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Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, Jordon pointed shoppers in the right direction to take advantage of the cut-price offers.

He said: “We all love a bit of chocolate.

“So the boxes of chocolate – Celebrations, Quality Street, Heroes, Roses – these are the cheapest they’re probably going to be before Christmas.

“They’re down to £3.95 in Tesco.

“If you have the Tesco Clubcard, go into stores.”

The unbelievable prices left show host Alison Hammond stunned, as she exclaimed: “Are you serious?

“I’m going.

“I’m going to get all my Christmas stuff now.”

Alison and everyone else will have to be quick, though, as Jordon revealed that the offer only lasts through this weekend.

Shoppers have to make their way to Tesco before Monday in order to get hold of the discounted treats.

However, Jordon’s glad news also came with a warning as the dreaded “shrinkflation” has struck again.

He explained: “This time last year they were 600g these tins.

“They’re down to 550g.

“It’s the same sort of price but less in them.”

Nonetheless, he said it’s still very much worth the trip to get hold of your chocs, especially with another Christmas staple also on offer.

Terry’s Chocolate Oranges are down from £1.50 to 95p in Tesco until Tuesday, including the newly-revived Toffee Crunch flavour.

A LUCKY couple who scooped up a whopping £83,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery revealed that they almost ignored the call after they were convinced it was a scam.

Alan and Muriel Owen said they were sceptical about winning the jackpot until their neighbours confirmed that they had indeed won the life-changing sum.

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They were one of 11 winners on a street in Nantymeol, Ogmore Vale, to bag an eye-watering £83,333 each.

Muriel said: “I couldn’t believe it, I thought it was a scam at first, and then I said to [Alan] somebody was playing a sick joke on us.”

Fortunately, the phone call which confirmed their win was real, and now the couple look forward to splashing their newfound wealth.

Alan and Muriel wasted no time and had already booked a trip to Turkey to celebrate.

The lucky pair added that it was “amazing” to share the win with the other residents, describing them as “lovely valleys people”.

Most of the winners in Nantymeol came together to celebrate at the local village pub, with owner Helen Smith describing the news as “fantastic”.

She told the BBC: “It was a lovely atmosphere here, we put on free prosecco for everybody to help them celebrate,” she said.

“It’s nice to see lovely people winning money.”

It comes after a great gran who won £166,666 says her husband will have to write a “begging letter” if he wants to see a single penny of it.

Gill English landed the cash on People’s Postcode Lottery in Rugby, Warwickshire – and is now planning a slap-up carvery dinner for her big family.

The retired carer also said she is prepared to buy her hubby a new pair of shoes – but only once she sees his “begging letter”.

Gill said: “Oh my God! Flippin’ heck! I’ll take the family to a carvery. I also said I’d buy Kev a new pair of shoes.

“He’ll have the begging letter written!”

Retired chauffeur Kev laughed: “I’ve already written the begging letter.”

The couple are both recovering from cancer.

Kev had melanoma and Gill is still receiving treatment after having part of her right lung removed.

But Gill said they are more interested in helping family – including her three sons, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren than treating themselves.

She said: “I love buying presents and love doing things for people. It’s lovely when you feel you have done something for somebody.

“I love giving. I get great joy out of it. If you’ve got money, you’ve got it. If you haven’t, you haven’t.

“I’m not money-motivated, but I am now! This is so lovely. Thank you.”

Gill also revealed she hadn’t told her hubby that she played Postcode Lottery until she got the call to say she’d won.

She said: “Kev didn’t know I even played; I don’t tell him everything. I hadn’t told anyone except my youngest son.

“I’ll never get any sleep now just working it all out.”

Kev said: “It wasn’t a secret, she just never told me.”

How to enter the People’s Postcode Lottery

• The Postcode Lottery is a subscription-based lottery in which players sign up with their postcode.
• Your postcode is your ticket number – 40p a day ensures entry into all drawers, or £12 a month.
• Once subscribed, they are automatically entered into every draw.
• Prizes are announced every day of the month.
• If your postcode gets luck, every player in your postcode wins.
• 33 per cent of the ticket price will go to charity that is re-funnelled back into the community.

MCDONALD’S is set to launch an all-new breakfast item in a matter of weeks.

The fast-food giant will soon start selling mini hashbrowns across its 1,300 plus sites in the UK.

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They will be a twist on the usual full-sized savoury snacks already available on the breakfast menu.

From October 16, foodies will be able to bag a five-pack of the mini hashbrowns costing £1.49.

If you’ve still got room for more, a 15-piece sharebox will set customers back £2.99.

While a single regular-size hashbrown costs £1.19.

But do remember that prices do vary from restaurant to restaurant so make sure you double check before you pay.

It is not yet clear if the hashbrowns will become a permanent menu item, so if you want to give them a go you might want to be quick.

Back in 2022, the home of the Big Mac added mini potato waffles to its breakfast offering.

While they were a big hit with fans, with many saying they were better than hashbrowns, they weren’t around for long.

The mini hashbrowns will be joining a whole host of other breakfast items including the iconic McMuffins and Cheesy Bacon Flatbreads.

Fans of the fast food chain will know that it usually updates its regular menu, which is served from 11am daily, every six weeks or so.

But the breakfast menu doesn’t see much action by comparison.

The latest addition came in January this year, as exclusively revealed by The Sun when the popular Breakfast Wrap once again became available.

The beloved item was axed back in 2020 and fans had been crying out for it to come back.

the Mighty McMuffin which first debuted in November 2022.

The stacked snack then made a return in March last year and has been on the menu ever since.

It comes with sausage, egg, double bacon, cheese, and ketchup or brown sauce.

What’s on the McDonald’s breakfast menu?

The full list of McDonald’s breakfast menu items includes:

• Mighty McMuffin – £ 5.19
• Egg & Cheese McMuffin – £ 2.39
• Breakfast Wrap – £ 4.99
• Bacon Roll – £ 3.19
• Breakfast Roll – £ 3.39
• Cheesy Bacon Flatbread -£ 1.49
• Bacon & Egg McMuffin -£ 2.79
• Double Bacon & Egg McMuffin – £ 3.19
• Sausage & Egg McMuffin – £ 2.79
• Double Sausage & Egg McMuffin -£ 3.19
• Muffin with Jam -£ 1.49
• Hash Brown -£ 1.19
• Pancakes & Syrup – £ 3.49
• Pancakes & Sausage with Syrup -£ 3.99
• Porridge -£ 1.99

However, it is important to note some of these menu items might not be available at your local McDonald’s.

McDonald’s serves breakfast every day until 11am.

It used to switch to the lunchtime menu at the earlier time of 10.30am, but bosses added an extra 30 minutes to the breakfast offering two years ago.

Restaurants that are normally open 24 hours a day start serving breakfast from 5am.

Every other restaurant kicks off the day with the breakfast menu at their normal opening times.

You can find out where your nearest branch is and what time it opens using the store locator tool.

Other changes to the McDonald’s menu

News of a new menu item comes just one week after Maccies teased the return of its McRib.

A test notification for the boneless pork burger was sent out on the McDonald’s rewards app, sending customers into a frenzy.

When asked if the McRib is coming back, a spokesperson said: “McDonald’s is always looking to innovate with new and exciting menu items, as well as bringing back the fan favourites.

“If you’re keen to be the first to receive more info from McDonald’s stay tuned.”

The McRib was first added to the main UK McDonald’s menu in 1981 but was taken off just four years later.

The burger, which comes with a boneless pork patty covered in barbecue sauce and topped with onions and pickles, has made temporary reappearances since.

What else is new at McDonald’s?

McDonald’s regularly shakes up its menu to make way for new items.

Earlier this month, the fast food chain shook up its menu to coincide with the launch of McDonald’s monopoly. 

To participate in the game you must collect stickers that represent train stations or colour-coordinated streets. 

If you are curious about how the game works and what prizes you can win, read our article here. 

To mark the return of its sticker peeling game McDonald’s has brought back a number of fan favourites

These include:

• Mozzarella Dippers 
• Philly Cheese Stack.
• Chicken Big Mac, 
• Galaxy Chocolate McFlurry 
• Twix Chocolate McFlurry
• Twix Latte 

If you are keen to try any of these new menu items you will need to act quickly as they are set to be pulled from restaurants in about three weeks.

McDonald’s Monopoly 2024

Everything you need to know…

How to save money at McDonald’s

Did you know that you can end up being charged more based just on the McDonald’s you choose to eat at? 

The Sun previously found that a Big Mac meal can be 30p cheaper at restaurants which are two miles away from each other. 

Another way to cut back spending at McDonald’s is by ordering from the Savers menu or by taking advantage of its ‘3 for £3’ deal when it lands in stores. 

It is also worth bearing in mind that McDonald’s offers a discount on your next order if you fill out a survey online after visiting its stores. 

These can be found on the back of any receipt you get at McDonald’s.

All you need to know about McDonald’s

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HERE’S all the crucial information about McDonald’s you’ve always wanted to know…

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IF you earned more than £1,000 in the last tax year from your side hustles, you need to register for self-assessment.

If you miss the October 5 deadline for registration and then fail to send in a tax return on time, you’ll likely face a fine.

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A side-hustle is something you do to earn extra income, such as selling things online, doing freelance work alongside your normal job, or making money from tasks like pet-sitting, dog walking, or babysitting.

How much you earn is important. If you make less than £1000 in a tax year from your hustle, it doesn’t count as taxable income, and you don’t have to declare it.

But, once you start making more than this, you need to register as self-employed and start paying tax on the money earned over this amount.

The threshold is based on your profit after deductible expenses. For instance, if you were making and selling jewellery, you can deduct the money you spent buying materials from how much you earned in total.

You only need to file and pay tax if your remaining profits are more than £1,000 for the year.

You also need to register if any of the following applied in the past year:

• you were a sole trader
• you were a partner in a business partnership
• you had a total taxable income of more than £150,000
• you had to pay Capital Gains Tax when you sold or ‘disposed of’ something that increased in value
• you had to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge

You might also need to register and send in a tax return if you have untaxed income, such as:

• money from renting out a property
• tips and commission
• income from savings, investments and dividends
• foreign income

And there are some scenarios where you don’t need to send in a return, but might choose to anyway. For instance, if you want to:

• claim some Income Tax reliefs
• prove you’re self-employed, for example to claim Tax-Free Childcare or Maternity Allowance
• pay voluntary National Insurance contributions

You can check if you need to do self-assessment with the Government’s online tool.

The deadline for registering is October 5. There’s no penalty for registering after this, but if you haven’t signed up, filed your tax return, and paid your bill by January 31 you will be fined.

If you do miss the October 5 deadline, you should sign up as soon as possible. This means you’ll be set up and able to file your return in time.

There are two key deadlines for actually submitting the return. If you want to file a paper return, it needs to be in by October 31. If you’re submitting online, you have until January 31.

If you miss the deadline for filing, you face an immediate £100 fine. If your return is more than three months late, you’ll then have to pay an additional £10 a day for a maximum of 90 days.

If you’re more than six months late, you pay a fine worth 5% of your total tax bill – or £300, whichever is higher – and then if you’re 12 months late you’ll have another fine worth the higher of 5% or £300.

You also need to pay everything you owe by January 31, or you’ll also face a late payment fine.

If you’re more than 30 days late, you need to pay 5% of the tax due as a fine.

If you’re six months late you pay another fine worth 5% of the tax outstanding and then the same again at 12 months.

HMRC charge interest on late tax payments. The interest is charged from the date the payment became due until the date of payment and is added automatically.

There is a helpful calculator on the gov.uk website that you can use to calculate what your late payment fees will be, if you miss the deadline.

You can challenge any penalties if you have a reasonable excuse. You usually have 30 days from the date your penalty was issued to contact HMRC or make an appeal. If you miss the deadline, you’ll need to give a reason.

The taxman says examples of reasonable excuses include:

• your partner or another close relative died shortly before the tax return or payment deadline
• you had an unexpected stay in hospital that prevented you from dealing with your tax affairs
• you had a serious or life-threatening illness
• your computer or software failed while you were preparing your online return
• issues with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) online services
• a fire, flood or theft prevented you from completing your tax return
• postal delays that you could not have predicted
• delays related to a disability or mental illness you have
• you were unaware of or misunderstood your legal obligation
• you relied on someone else to send your return, and they did not

Whatever the reason, you must send your return or payment as soon as you can.