Public told to keep an eye out for three rare British coins worth £72,900
by Lauren Haughey, David Huntley · ChronicleLiveThe public are being urged to keep an eye out for three rare coins that could be worth thousands.
A specialist claims there are three rare British coins out there with a combined value of 'up to £72,900'. Co-founder of Coins Value, Chris Yang, says that the first of these is an uncommon 2p that's valuable due to an error. Issued in 1983, it's not quite clear how many are now in circulation, but some suggest they were often part of souvenir sets.
Speaking to The Mirror, Chris said: "Due to a minting error, some 1983 2p coins were struck with 'New Pence' on the reverse rather than 'Two Pence'. This mistake makes it quite valuable among collectors... [Now] numismatic auction houses or online marketplaces like eBay are good options [for selling them]."
Chris estimates that a 1983 New Pence can fetch between £500 and £700. While this may seem like a hefty sum, it pales in comparison to the value of another coin with an intriguing history. During the 1930s, banks possessed a stock of pennies so large that is was completely unnecessary to put any more in general circulation, according to The Royal Mint. So, as part of a convention, 1933 King George V pennies among others, were instead buried beneath the foundation stones of new buildings.
"[There] was a convention at the time that complete sets of coins of the current year were buried under the foundation stones of new buildings," The Royal Mint explains. "Consequently, three 1933 pennies were struck for buildings erected in that year, along with a small number to be kept as record copies by the British Museum and the Royal Mint Museum."
If you're lucky enough to find a 1933 King George V coin, you're essentially sitting on a goldmine. Chris Yang suggests that such a coin may sell for a staggering £72,000, after one was sold at an auction in 2016, according to MailOnline.
And it seems the value is only increasing, as one was reportedly sold for £40,000 in 2004, and £45,000 in 2006. Chris continued: "This is one of the rarest British coins because only a few were ever produced as part of a special minting for record-keeping. The rarity and historical significance of the coin makes it highly sought after by collectors.
"...High-end auction houses like Sotheby's or Bonhams would be the best option [to sell] such a rare coin." Last but not least, Chris drew to an unusual 50p issued in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens. If you've ever visited the gardens, you may recognise the coin's Chinese Pagoda which was originally built in 1762, but freshly restored in 2018.
"Only 210,000 coins were minted, making them one of the most sought-after 50p coins in circulation," Chris said. "The coin commemorates the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens, featuring the iconic Pagoda." Chris believes that eBay and the London Coin Company two of the best places to sell these. Although they can fetch between £150 and £200, it may depend on their condition.
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