FINDING a rare coin in your change could be a way of making some quick cash - especially if it's a rare bronze 20p. The error coin could be worth up to £750 - but it's not just that 20p coin that could be worth a small fortune.
Unlike 50p and 10p coins, the 20p design has remained almost the same since it was first minted back in 1982, making only a handful of them actually valuable to a collector. Zero 20p coins were minted in 2017 or 2018 - with the Royal Mint focused on introducing the new twelve-sided £1 piece. The Treasury said no more were needed after thousands of older 20ps coins re-entered circulation when Brits found them in change jars at home in their search for old round £1 coins. But more than 125 million were minted in 2019 and a further 32.75 million in 2020. The 20p coins that are worth the most are "mule" ones which have been minted with inaccuracies on them by mistake. It's not just 20p coins issued by the Royal Mint that are popular either, with ones made in the Channel Islands and Gibraltar also turning big profits online.
Rare error coins often sell for a lot of money on eBay too - these will have some noticeable fault that happened in the minting process, but their flaws often mean they rocket in value. Always be cautious of fakes though, as they'll often show up online. And just because a coin says it sold for that much, doesn't mean it actually did. Often collectors are willing to pay well above the market rate for a piece which completes their collection - so don't take advertised sums as gospel. You can check your rare piece is real by looking at how many people have been willing to bid for it in the past - and how much they've driven the price up by too. Experts like Coin Hunter or The Royal Mint will check if your change is legitimate and worth what others are saying too. We've put together a round-up of the most valuable ones - so keep your eyes peeled. Here's what to look out for:
Bronze 20p coin - £750
One mistake turned the normally silver 20p coin bronze, after being struck onto a 1p blank that had slipped into the wrong batch. These are super rare and aren't specific to any year, although one from 1987 did crop up which coin site ChangeChecker ended up giving away as a prize. Coin enthusiast Colin Bellamy, who runs Coin Hunter, has valued these coins at £750 each. We've had a look online to see how much these error - or "mule" - coins sell for but it doesn't look like there are any currently available on sale. They truly are a rare find which could make them worth even more.
Blank 20p coin - £430
Just weeks ago a one-off error coin sold on eBay for a whopping £430. The seller explained the strange misprint was a manufacturing issue on a blank piece. They said: "This error has occurred due to a rogue 20p coin blank being struck by the obverse and reverse dies.. and then sticking to the reverse die." It's not clear there are any other coins like this on the market, but keep an eye because one could be worth a striking sum.
2008 20p coin without a date - £57
Back in 2009, the Royal Mint accidentally issued up to 200,000 20p coins without a year stamp, making it the first coin in 300 years to be released in circulation without a date. The coin was circulated after the reverse of each denomination from 1p to £1 was redesigned back in 2008, bringing the date to the "heads" side. One of these coins sold in November 2017 for an incredible £224.81, but most now sell online for around £57. Look out for the missing date on the side with the Queen's head.
Gibraltar and the Channel Isles
It's not just sterling issued in the UK that is worth more than face value - special edition 20p coins from Gibraltar and the Channel Isles can also be valuable to collectors. While they're not worth quite as much, you can still make a profit if you're willing to part with one. It's worth pointing out that these coins aren't likely to turn up in your change as UK businesses don't tend to accept Sterling issued by any provider other than the Royal Mint. But if you've visited one of the islands and still have change in your pocket then it's worth checking for valuable coins.
Isle of Man 20p - £13.50
The Rally Isle of Man - or Manx International Rally as it used to be known - is an annual racing competition that's been running since 1979. It's celebrated on a number of coins, including the Subaru and Ford 20p piece. One of these sold on eBay early this year for £13.50 after attracting nine bids - that's 67 and a half times its original value.
Guernsey 20p - £5
The State of Guernsey began issuing its own designs on coins in 1982 and they are still issued today. While they're not rare, you can make a small profit by selling the coin online where they sell for around a fiver.
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Rare coins and valuable notes - is yours worth a mint?
The most valuable 20p coin from "the rock" is the Keys of Gibraltar design worth around £2.50 on eBay, which is 12 and a half times its original value. They're not rare - they were first minted in 2005 and are still available today. The design celebrates the ancient tradition of when the city would lock its four gates during a storm to protect it from the raging sea.
Do you have any of these rare 2p coins worth up to £56 in your pocket?If you can find a Kew Gardens 50p piece, you could pocket more than £140,000. Just 200,000 were minted in 2009, meaning those still in circulation are highly lucrative. There are 37 different £2 coin designs currently in circulation, and some of the rarest are worth up to 20 times face value at £40.
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