The new £1 coin that is selling for up to £950 on eBay – but you can’t spend it in shops
COIN mad Brits are paying up to £950 for trial versions of the new 12-sided £1 coin on eBay.
Over 200,000 sample coins made by the Royal Mint and given to shops and businesses to test them out ahead of the launch in March this year.
The coins look exactly like the new 12-sided one, except they are marked with the word "trial" on them.
They aren't legal tender and can't be used in shops - but some collectors have started snapping them up.
One coin got 68 bids from eBay buyers before finally selling for £950 in August.
While another sold for £600 earlier this week.
A spokesperson from the Royal Mint said: "The trial pieces are marked with the word "trial", do not have legal tender status, and have no redeemable value."
The coins aren't even considered rare, according to The Royal Mint.
Around 200,000 “trial piece” coins were issued. They were supposed to be used by vending machines, supermarket chains and banks so that they would be ready for the new coin’s introduction.
Before the new coin was launched in March, the trial coins were selling for around £200.
We reported back then that they may become valuable to collectors.
The new coin, dubbed the “most secure” in the world, features a hologram at the bottom which shows a £ symbol and the number one depending on the light.
It replaced the old round pound which was officially withdrawn from circulation at midnight, although THOUSANDS of shops have extended the Royal Mint's deadline.
QUIDS IN How much are your old round pounds worth?
Hoarders have had six months to prepare for the changeover but some of the biggest high street names - including Tesco, Iceland, Poundland and Aldi - have announced they will accept the coin after Sunday.
The Royal Mint and Treasury worked with businesses to decide a hard deadline for when the round pound should be withdrawn, but many decided to ignore it.
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