Brits have been told to keep an eye out for two “everyday” coins in circulation. They could fetch a sum well beyond their nominal value, potentially reaching £130 when combined.
The sought-after coins include a 20p piece from 2008 and a 50p coin minted in 2023, but they must bear certain designs to be of exceptional value. On the video-sharing app TikTok, a coin expert known as the Coin Collecting Wizard shared his insights.
He said: “Did you know the UK has many coins you can find in everyday change that you can sell to collectors for some serious money?”.
“Here are just a few to look out for. One of the most well known modern coin errors to watch out for is the undated 20p from 2008.” This particular coin lacks a date on its obverse side.
The Royal Mint’s website indicates that this anomaly occurred in fewer than 250,000 pieces. The Coin Collecting Wizard elaborated: “This happened when the Royal Mint changed the design of UK coins moving the date from the reverse tail side to the obverse head side.
“But in a small batch the new obverse was accidentally paired with the old reverse meaning the coin ended up with no date at all. It’s the first UK coin in over 300 years to be released without a date and that little slip up makes it highly collectible.”
He suggested that such a coin might command a price of about £50. “If you’re lucky enough to find one in your change it could fetch around £50 depending on condition, so it’s definitely worth checking your 20ps,” he advised.
Currently, collectors can spot undated 2008 20p pieces listed on eBay with asking prices ranging from £68.32 to £900. The second coin spotlighted by the expert isn’t renowned for errors but rather its scarcity.
The guru highlighted that even a 2023 50p piece might fetch close to £80, owing to its limited release. He said: “Or how about the Atlantic Salmon 50 pence coin?
“With such a low mintage of 200,000 it is officially the rarest 50p you can find in your change and it’s worth around £80 to collectors.”
The Royal Mint confirmed on its site last year that the Atlantic salmon was the rarest coin in circulation. It said: “The coin depicting the Atlantic salmon has knocked the highly collectable 2009 Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot for the first time, with just 200,000 released to UK banks and post offices at the end of last year.
“A total of 210,000 2009 Kew Gardens coins were released into circulation 15 years ago.” On one side, this prized coin is adorned with an image of a salmon, while the other side bears the likeness of King Charles III.