A specialist has advised Brits to keep an eye out for a scarce 50p coin that could potentially be worth up to £40,000. However, the coin must bear one of two specific dates to hold such high value.
The coin in question is known as the ” Brexit ” coin, minted to mark the day the UK departed from the EU on January 31, 2020. Interestingly, some of these coins were produced with what is now considered an incorrect date, as Brexit was initially scheduled to occur the previous year.
Therefore, the sought-after dates are March 29, 2019, or October 31, 2019. In a video shared on TikTok, a coin enthusiast known as the Coin Collecting Wizard elaborated on this. He began: “So let’s start from the beginning.
“This coin is the Brexit 50p from 2020 and as you can see it clearly has the Brexit date at the bottom of the coin. But did you know there is another date out there on this 50 pence and only a few have ever been found?
“If you find the Brexit 50p coin in your change, which is most likely as millions were minted for circulation, then all you need to do is check the date at the bottom of the coin. If your date says 31st January 2020, then this is just the regular common version worth 50 pence, but if you are super lucky and find one with a date other than 2020, such as this one from October 2019, then you have just found a super rare error coin.”
He continued: “And yes it has been known to sell for £40,000. Just be sure you know what you are looking for any date other than 2020 and you have hit the jackpot.”
The tail side of the coin is easily identifiable and displays the inscription “peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations”. The head side bears the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
It’s believed that roughly 1,000 of the March Brexit coins were struck, though the majority were subsequently melted down. However, approximately one million of the October versions were manufactured.
Most of these were similarly destroyed when Brexit faced another postponement, yet two surviving specimens have been discovered since.
Specialists from The Westminster Collection said: “While the 31st January 2020 Brexit 50p is an important historical coin, its mintage of over 10 million means it is not particularly rare. In contrast, the 31st October 2019 Brexit 50ps are some of the rarest modern UK coins, with just two known examples in existence-and an estimated value of over £40,000 each, according to numismatic specialists at Spink and Son auction house.”
They continued: “With only two known examples of the ultra-rare 31st October 2019 Brexit 50p discovered so far, it raises the thrilling possibility that more could be waiting to be found. Collectors are being urged to check their change – you might just strike gold!”