Britons are being urged to check their change for a rare £1 coin that could be worth up to £2,500. The coin, dated 2016, features a tiny error on its rim that makes it highly sought after by collectors.
The error occurs when the obverse (head side) of the coin displays '2016', while the reverse (tail side) has a micro-engraving of '2017' along the edge. This mistake is extremely difficult to spot without a microscope, according to coin expert the Coin Collecting Wizard.
The specialist valued the coin at around £500, but noted that one example sold for £2,500 to a buyer in Spain in 2017. Change Checker, a coin valuation service, confirmed the sale and estimated the coin's value in excellent condition to be between £300 and £500.
The modern 12-sided £1 coins entered circulation in April 2017, though some were produced in 2016 in advance. The die-error mix-up appears to have occurred only on a limited number of 2016-dated coins. Collectors advise checking any 2016 £1 coins carefully, particularly the rim of the design side for the tiny '2017' inscription.
