Loose change that could be worth a small fortune
GOT a pocket full of change? Raided the piggy bank lately? Then you might want to rummage through your small change.
Because it could be worth a small fortune.
A London Olympic 50p coin changes hands for £3,000 now, while a 1983 “New Pence” 2p coin would get you £650 (enough for 32,500 standard 2p pieces).
They are among a host of coins, of which hundreds of thousands are in circulation, that are far more valuable than they appear.
Elsewhere, a special 50p piece featuring Kew Gardens is now changing hands for more than £50.
Experts estimated that one in 300 people currently has a Kew Gardens 50p – which means there are probably about 4,000 in Birmingham.
However, they are expected to disappear quickly into private collections now the Royal Mint has declared the coin as the rarest in general circulation.
Here’s a rundown of the coins that could bolster your pocket...
MARY ROSE AND KING JAMES BIBLE £2 coin – £6
Both designs were released by the Royal Mint in 2011 in limited editions of 20,000 each to mark the 500th anniversary of the Mary Rose and the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Both coins are already becoming collectable due to the small numbers and reach double to triple their face value.
THE 1983 “NEW PENCE” 2p coin – £650
After British currency went decimal in 1971, all 2p coins had ‘New Pence’ on the reverse until 1981.
The Royal Mint decided to replace ‘New Pence” with ‘Two Pence’ in 1982.
However, in 1983 the Mint accidentally produced a small number that bore the old inscription “New Pence”. These went into special collectors sets, but if you do find one that made its way into circulation it could be worth up to £650.
THE EC COMMEMORATIVE 50p coin – £20
In 1992 and 1993 the Mint issued a commemorative coin to celebrate the British presidency of the council of Europe. Just 109,000 coins were issued, compared to as many as 12 million usually, making it collectable. The coins are no longer in circulation because the 50p piece was reduced in size in 1997 but if you have one in your jar at home it could be worth as much as £20. DATELESS 20p coin – £100 When the Royal Mint redesigned the 20p piece in 2008 it decided to switch the date from the back of the coin to the front. However, an error at the Mint mismatched the old and new designs and between 50,000 and 200,000 coins were produced with no date on them. They were released into circulation before the mistake was spotted, and now sell for up to £100 a time in mint condition.
LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS 50p coin – £3,000
There were 29 different designs released to celebrate the 2012 Olympic Games, with some produced in smaller numbers than others.
A full set normally commands around £35 while some of the more desirable or rare designs such as football, wheelchair rugby, wrestling and tennis can command £3 or £4.
However, the real prize find is the original aquatic coin, which shows water passing directly over the swimmer’s face.
Just 600 were released before the designed was altered to show a clearly visible face – and one of the original coins was recently listed on eBay for £3,000. GUY FAWKES £2 coin – £16
The Royal Mint regularly releases £2 coins with different designs and inscriptions on the edging – and that means mistakes sometimes creep in.
The Guy Fawkes coin was released in 2005 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the gunpowder plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
On some of the coins, the inscription read “Pemember, Pemember the Fifth of November instead of “Remember, Remember...”
Those coins usually sell for around £16 on eBay.