A coin specialist has advised collectors to watch out for two rare coins collectively valued at over £900. These pieces have become highly desirable due to minting mistakes that make them unique.
What Makes Coins Valuable?
Coins can achieve collector status when they are deemed unusual or particularly scarce. This can be due to limited mintage numbers or their age. In some instances, manufacturing errors during production result in distinctive designs that drive up value. Two such coins were recently highlighted by an expert on social media.
The 20p Bronze Error
The Coin Collecting Wizard, speaking on TikTok, demonstrated how to identify these valuable pieces. They asked: "Do you recognise these coins? Check this out." He first drew attention to 20p coins mistakenly struck in bronze instead of the usual cupro-nickel composition. Known examples of this blunder date from 1987 and 1990. These are valued at approximately £750. He elaborated: "One mistake collectors want to get their hands on is this normally silver 20p coin in bronze. This happened after being struck onto the metal normally struck for a 1p coin that had slipped into the wrong batch. This error has been confirmed by the Royal Mint as an extremely sought-after minting error." He noted: "These are super rare and are not specific to any year. We have had a look online to see how much these error coins sell for, but it does not look like there are any currently available on sale. But experts have previously valued these coins at £750 each."
The £1 Coin Design Error
He also shared details of a valuable £1 coin error. Should you discover the design of a modern 12-sided £1 coin stamped onto an old round £1 coin base, it could potentially be worth more than £200. The expert explained: "This error £1 coin has had the design for the new £1 coin struck on an old £1 coin base. The error is believed to have happened when the familiar round £1 coin was replaced with the new 12-sided coin in 2017. One recently sold on eBay for £205 in 2018."
Collectors are advised to check their change carefully, as these rare coins could be hiding in plain sight. With values reaching hundreds of pounds, it pays to know what to look for.
