Collectors are being urged to check their change for a rare 2016 £1 coin that could be worth up to £2,500 due to a tiny minting error. The coin in question is a 12-sided £1 coin from 2016, which features a minuscule '2017' marking on its reverse side.
Although the 12-sided coins were officially launched in March 2017, the Royal Mint produced over 500 million of them in 2016 in preparation. The error is a dual-dated coin: the obverse (heads side) shows 2016, while the reverse (tails side) has a micro-engraving of 2017, which is extremely hard to spot without magnification.
TikTok user Coin Collecting Wizard advised: 'You're looking for a 2016 obverse dated coin with 2017 micro engraving on the reverse. The micro-engraving is so small, you may need a microscope.' He noted that at least one example sold for £2,500 to a buyer in Spain in 2017.
However, Change Checker specialists suggest a more realistic value of £300 to £500 for a dual-dated £1 coin in excellent condition, as the £2,500 sale likely represents a ceiling. One such coin recently listed on eBay had an asking price of £1,500.
The error is particularly difficult to spot, so collectors are advised to carefully examine any 2016 £1 coins they come across. As Coin Collecting Wizard said: 'This is such an easy error to miss because it is so small. Good luck.'
