Tiny overlooked error on your 20p could make it worth £72 – do you have one?
A TINY error on your 20p could earn you a whopping £72.
A manufacturing error by the Royal Mint in 2008 meant that only around 250,000 coins were printed with this unique error.
The lucrative 20p piece is known as a “mule” coin, released into circulation in 2008 after a manufacturing error.
Traditionally, coins would be dated on the “tails” side. But in 2008, the Royal Mint decided to move the date to the “heads” side.
However, a minting error caused a small number of 20p coins to be released without any date on at all.
This was the first time in 300 years that British coins were released into circulation with no date on them.
As a result, the coins have become much more valuable than they are worth.
On an eBay auction, the rare 20p piece attracted a whopping 52 bids, eventually selling for £72.
The lucky buyer also needed to pay £7.95 for Royal Mail Special Delivery to keep the valuable coin safe.
The seller simply wrote in the description of the 20p: “Nice coin.”
There are said to be 250,000 20p coins minted in November 2008, all with no date on.
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.
The Britannica Coin Company website lists a single such mule as being for sale for £100.
This is far from the only rare coin to be worth much more than its face value would suggest.
What other rare Royal Mint coins are in circulation?
This undated 20p piece isn’t the only rare – and valuable – coin in circulation.
The rarest is the Kew Gardens 50p, which was minted to mark the 250th anniversary of the gardens in West London.
There were only 210,000 of these collectors’ item minted and can sell for over £140.
Other rare British coins include special edition 50p coins minted for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Only 1.1 million of these limited edition coins were minted, with some selling at auction for over £10.
There have also been coins to celebrate British books, such as a Sherlock Holmes 50p coin and a Peter Rabbit coin.
What are the most rare and valuable coins?
- Five rarest coins – do you have one?
- The 13 most valuable £2 coins in circulation
- How valuable are the rarest £1 coins?
- Most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation
- Rare and most valuable 20p coins that could be worth up to £750
- Rarest 10p coins in circulation
- Rare 2p coins revealed
- How to check if you have a rare and valuable banknote