A TINY unremarkable error on your 20p coin could make it worth 485 times its face value, a fiery eBay bidding war has shown.
One mistake made for the first time in 300 years caused 250,000 “mule” coins to become a collectors item – cue to check pockets now.
One savvy seller recently flogged their rare 20p for a whopping £97.
At a glance, the coin may look normal, however, look a bit closer and a key bit of information is missing.
Prior to November 2008, the Royal Mint switched the position of the date on the 20p coin from tail to head.
But this was not the case for this batch of coins.
Shockingly, they were produced without a date on them.
And now, one has sold on eBay for 485 times its worth.
It comes after another savvy seller flogged a rare coin for 300 times its worth.
A particular 50p sold for a whopping £135 on January 16 – it features an architectural masterpiece which lies in London‘s famous Kew Gardens.
The 50p coin, which could earn you hundreds of pounds, features Kew Gardens’ iconic Chinese Pagoda.
The Chinese Pagoda, a Grade 1 listed building was constructed in 1761 as a gift for Princess Augusta of Wales.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”The Kew Gardens 50p” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6337451104112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]It also features a “decorative leafy climber twining in and around the tower“.
Along with the markings 1759 – to represent when the gardens were founded – and 2009 – for when the coin entered circulation.
One savvy seller took to eBay to flog their 2009 coin.
[authenticated-scripts src=”%3Cscript%20class%3D%22palin-poll%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fpollingwidgets%2Fv3%2Fwidget.js%3Fquestion_id%3D105755%26game%3Dpolling%22%3E%3C%2Fscript%3E” type=”embedded” width=”100″ /]It sparked an eBay bidding war, with 13 eager collectors desperate to snap it up.
The lucky new owner was sent it in a display box.
When it comes to bidding on eBay, the seller tends to set a starting price and buyers place bids to compete with each other.
The highest bidder wins the auction and bags the item.
But a coin is only ever worth what someone is willing to pay at the time.
A collector may pay out more if they need a coin to complete their collection for instance.
How to spot rare coins and banknotes
Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds.
If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value.
You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers.
These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch’s face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note.
Also if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky you could cash in thousands.
For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes.
You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick “completed and sold items” and filter by the highest value.
It will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes.
But do bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.
This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.
The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay.
Experts from Change Checker recommend looking at “sold listings” to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed.
People can list things for any price they like, but it doesn’t mean it will sell for that amount.
We explain further how you can find out if you have a rare coin worth thousands sitting around the house.
[boxout headline=”How to spot a fake coin” intro=”The Royal Mint has revealed how you can spot a fake coin and here are some possible signs to look out for. “]- The date and design on the reverse do not match.
- The lettering on the edge of the coin doesn’t match the year.
- The milled edge is poorly defined.
- The lettering is uneven in depth, spacing or missing letters – or if the face designs are not as sharp or well-defined.
- The coin appears shiny and doesn’t show signs of ageing.
- The coin’s colour is different compared to genuine coins.
- Finally, check the alignment of the front and reverse designs.