Have YOU got one in your purse? These rare 20p coins are worth up to £100 EACH
MANY of our purses and wallets will be heavy with change and small value coins – but could your wallet be hiding a hidden gem?
Back in 2009, the Royal Mint accidentally issued up to 200,000 20p coins issued without the year stamp – making them worth at least £50 each.
Not bad, right?
It’s well worth rummaging through your silvers to look for the rather rare coins, as the 2009 undated 20p became the first coin in over 300 years to enter circulation without a date stamped on it.
The coin was circulated after the reverse of each denomination from 1p to £1 was redesigned back in 2008.
The coins were designed by Matthew Dent to feature a different part of the Royal Arms Shield.
Before this, the 20p had included the date on the reverse, but with the entire face of the coin now devoted to the new design, the Royal Mint produced a new die with the date on the same side as the Queen’s head.
However, an error occurred when the new Royal Shield 20p coins were struck and the old die was accidentally used - meaning a batch was issued with no date at all.
When the news was release about the coin, people across the nation were left checking their purses and pockets for it and it could still be worth the £50 today.
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Mint condition undated 20ps could even fetch as much as £100.
However, these coins remain legal tender and still have a face value of 20p.
But the 20p isn’t the only rare piece of silver doing the rounds.
A rare commemorative 50p piece which features Kew Gardens could be worth much more than its face value too.
The coin, which was manufactured in 2011, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanical Gardens but The Royal Mint only released 210,000.
The Royal Mail declared the Kew Gardens coin the rarest in circulation but currently it’s estimated that one in 300 people have one, however private collectors are quickly gathering them up.
As far as rare coins go, it is now thought that you are around twice as likely to find an undated 20p in your change as you are the famous Kew Gardens 50p, but it may sell for more - so it’s well worth a check.
The reason behind this is that coin collectors tend to like a story – making the fact that the coin was created by freak accident an added appeal.
Get checking…