Rare 20p coin error discovered - could your change be worth over £1,000?
A 20p coin has been causing a stir among collectors after it was revealed that it could be worth more than £1,000 - and it's all because of an unusual error
by Sophie Barley, Fiona Callingham · ChronicleLiveBrits are being urged to rummage through their change for a rare 20p coin that could be worth a staggering £1,000. The unique coin is made from the wrong material and stands out as a collector's dream.
An expert has revealed that a copper 20p piece could rake in as much as £1,300 if put up for auction. The Coin Collector UK, a popular TikTok account, informed followers about the key features of this lucrative error coin.
In a 2022 video, the Coin Collector UK detailed: "A copper 20p coin worth £1,300. In 1994 a collector came across a very rare 20p error coin. Unlike any other errors seen at this point, it was a copper 1p blank, which had mistakenly been struck with a 20p die at the Royal Mint. You can notice that this 20p is much thinner than average due to it being pressed onto a one pence coin blank."
"Also, the edges of the coin are much more rounded, resembling more the shape of a 1p, despite it being pressed with a 20p die. It is estimated that this coin could be worth over £1,300, although there are no official records of one selling."
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"And before you say this is just a dirty coin, the Royal Mint themselves have confirmed it to be a genuine error coin that they have produced. So get checking your coin jars, because there may be more errors like this to be found.", reports Hull Live.
Change Checker confirms that the particular 20p in question dates back to 1990 and was accidentally struck on a copper-plated blank instead of the standard cupro-nickel finish typical for 20p coins. The Royal Mint acknowledged this minting mishap in 2018.
Coin Checker revealed: "They also confirmed it was the only known 20p in existence with the error, making it one of a kind."
The unique coin was auctioned off by the collector last year for £1,400. It's always worth taking a moment to inspect your change for any peculiar errors that might just make them worth a small fortune.