A rare 20p coin minted without a date has sold on eBay for £48.16, more than 240 times its face value of 20p. The coin, featuring Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse and the Royal Shield of Arms on the reverse, is one of an estimated 250,000 undated 'mule' coins that entered circulation in 2008 due to a minting error.
Minting Error Creates Collectible Rarity
According to the Royal Mint, the error occurred when an old obverse die (the 'heads' side) was incorrectly paired with a new reverse die (the 'tails' side) during production. This mismatch resulted in coins that lacked a date on either side. The Royal Mint stated that fewer than 250,000 of the 136 million 20p coins minted in 2008-09 were affected.
A Royal Mint spokesperson explained: "In November 2008 a number of 20p coins were incorrectly minted, resulting in the coins being undated. This problem affected less than 250,000 coins of the 136million 20p pieces minted in 2008-09 and was due to the previous obverse being used with the new reverse design, meaning the year of issue did not feature at all. These coins remain legal tender and still have a face value of 20p."
eBay Auction Attracts Bidders
The listing described the coin as a "genuine 2008 undated 20p mule error coin" and a "highly sought-after error coin and a must-have for collectors." A winning bidder paid £48.16 plus £2.70 postage for the coin in April, demonstrating the premium collectors place on such errors.
History of the 20p Coin
First issued in 1982, the 20p coin is one of the UK's newest circulating denominations. Over the years, it has undergone several design changes. In 1998, the obverse featured Maklouf's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, while the reverse depicted a crowned Tudor double rose by William Gardner. In 2008, the reverse was replaced with the definitive 'shield' design, which appears on UK coins up to 50p. When arranged correctly, the shield designs on the 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, and 1p coins combine to form the complete Royal Arms. In 2022, Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen replaced Ian Rank-Broadley's design.
