CASHING IN
Tiny missing detail on 20p makes it 300 TIMES more valuable – there could be hundreds in your spare change
There are only around 250,000 coins with this missing detail in circulation
YOU could have a 20p coin worth 300 times its value if it's missing one key detail.
A manufacturing error by the Royal Mint in 2008 meant that only around 250,000 coins were printed with this unique error.
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What makes these 20p coins so valuable is that they are undated.
Three of these unique 20p coins recently sold for £137 on eBay on August 26 following 28 bids for the rare coin.
According to the Britannica Coin Company website, a single 20p coin missing the date can be listed for as much as £100
Previously the date had been on either side of the Tudor rose design on the old "tales" (reverse) side.
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However, when this was replaced by the new shield design, the date was moved to be on the "heads" (obverse) side instead.
These undated coins were produced when the old 'heads' design was combined with the new "tails" design.
These coins are therefore mules - coins featuring obverse and reverse designs not normally seen together on the same coin.
The rarity of these mules means that they are sought after by many coin collectors, as well as other people just interested in them as a curiosity.
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The 20p isn't the only rare coin in circulation. A rare pattern on the King Charles III 50p coin could be worth 54 times its value.
The Royal Mint, the official maker of British coins, regularly puts limited edition pieces into general circulation.
What a beauty of a coin!
And because there's only a limited amount, they can sell for multiple times their face value.
In some cases, extremely rare 50p pieces have sold for a whopping £950.
One coin issued at the end of 2023 has now sold for £27 on eBay - 54 times its face value.
The coin in question is the King Charles Atlantic Salmon 50p that first entered circulation in November 2023.
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The coin is one of eight new special varieties released by the Royal Mint, reflecting the King's passion for conservation and the natural world.
The coin is marked with an engraving of salmon fish jumping out of Atlantic ocean water.
A spokesperson for Copes Coins said: "The current mintage rumours estimate that only 500,000 of these coins were released into general circulation in November 2023.
"Since then, these coins have become much harder to find in your change, and prices on online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon have continued to rise, fuelling the speculation that the 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p is to become one of the rarest coins to enter circulation in the last 15 years."
Many coins can be worth much more when sold on eBay as part of a collection.
However, sometimes you'll get better individual prices if another enthusiast needs your coin to complete their collection.
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The design of the coin, its condition and whether or not the coin is in circulation also affects how much it could be worth.
You can easily figure out how rare a coin is, by checking its mintage figures.
How can I check if my error coin is genuine?
RARE and valuable coins can go for a hefty sum - but how do you know if your coin is the result of a genuine minting error?
The best way to find out if you have an error coin is to send it to the Royal Mint museum, which will analyse it and see if it is a result of a genuine minting error or not.
It'll normally take a couple of weeks to get the results back to you.
But remember, there's a difference between a genuine error coin and one that is just imperfect, for example with a design that is not as clear as you'd expect.
And whatever you do, don't be tempted to splash your cash without evidence from the Mint confirming that it's a genuine error.
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