04 July 2023 , 19:47
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Brits are being urged to check their spare change after it emerged a rare 20 pence coin could be worth up to £60.
According to TikTok coin collector @thecoincollectoruk, around 250,000 coins with an error on them were released by the Royal Mint in 2008. The 20 pence pieces are still thought to be out there and it is estimated they could be worth between £40 and £60.
The collector states the blunder occurred following a redesign of the coin. Those looking to cash in should check if there is a date on the coin, as if there isn't it's likely to be worth 300 times the value.
The Daily Mail reports a change to the 20 pence piece's design in 2008 meant the coin is meant to have a date on the heads side. Previously the date had been on the tails side.
But the 250,000 coins released 15 years ago were minted using the old version of the heads side, which does not have the year date, and the new version of the tails side, which also does not have a date.
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A blunder like this is called a 'mule' and these coins are particularly valuable to collectors as they are the first batch to have made it into circulation without a date for more than 300 years.
Error coins can be particularly valuable to collectors as they could be a one-off - but a coin is only ever worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
In 2021, one of the undated 20 pence coins went for £57 on eBay. Bidding for the coin started at £30 but it ended up selling for £57 following a three-day auction, which attracted 13 bids from seven people.