How much is the 1983 ‘new pence’ 2p coin worth, why is it so valuable and how can you tell if you have one?
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IF your purse is feeling weighed down with coppers, you may well be carrying around a goldmine.
A rare batch of 2p coins can fetching some pretty serious cash on eBay - one has just sold for £100, but others have previously been on sale for over £1,500.
But what is it about these coins which makes them so special?
The answer lies in the date they were, and a quirky error made during their minting.
All 2p coins minted between February 1971 and 1982 should say 'new pence' on the front, while those released after this date say 'two pence'.
The reason they say 'new pence' is because decimal 2p coins were only introduced as legal tender in the early 70s, along with the half penny and one penny coins.
As explained by : "To avoid confusion between the old and new coinage all three coins had the word 'NEW' incorporated into the reverse design.
"This was subsequently removed in 1982."
But in 1983, a glitch meant a batch of 2p coins were printed with the old wording - new pence - on them, rather than two pence.
If you happen to have one of these rare coins, you're well and truly in the money.
Royal Mint doesn't know how many there are in existence, but they've already fetched more than £500 at auction — but only if it carries the 1983 date.
There are a few available on eBay at the moment as part of a rare coin collection from 1983 - but they'll set you back between £1,500 and £1,700.
Earlier this year a rare silver 2p was discovered in a Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal tin in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
People have also been cashing in on certain new £5 notes that contain unusual codes, such as AK-47.
Though the ones that fetch the biggest bucks contain serial numbers starting ‘AA01’ – meaning they were produced in the first batch.
Meanwhile there are five 50p coins in circulation that together could be worth up to £3,000.
It's also worth trawling through your 20ps, as back in 2009, the Royal Mint accidentally issued up to 200,000 of the coins that didn't contain the year stamp – making them worth at least £50 each.
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