'Never underestimate loose change' as rare 20p sells for 622 times face value
People joked online that they "gotta start checking their pockets" after the unique coin sold for over the £100 mark
We are living in an increasingly more cashless society, with card and contactless considered king. But there is still a lot of buzz around some coins; their origin, what they represent, and how much they could be worth in a few years.
Coins are becoming less common in daily life, which is a shame, as they hold a lot of weight. Coin collectors in particular do not tire from shouting about the beauty and uniqueness of the pieces, which is understandable.
And one recent online sale has drawn even more fascination to physical currency - a rare Royal Mint 20p coin, described as "very nice and interesting," which has sold for more than 620 times its face value on eBay.
The coin has a slight error, having been struck during the minting process, making it extremely valuable for collectors, according to Sidmouth Herald.
The 20p piece has even been wrapped up in a bit of controversy since coming to the public's attention. Amusingly, it sparked a mini bidding war among collectors before selling for nearly £125.
The description of the listing on eBay explained: "Striking machines are set so that the dies have a limited travel, this is done to stop the dies crashing into each other in the absence of a coin.
"It's my understanding that this coin was struck on a badly set machine, or a trial piece used in set up. Only the higher raised detail of the dies connected, which make the lower details of the coin.
"Therefore, lower fields are shiny and well formed, but raised detail is absent."
It goes on: "These higher unstruck areas show the correct dull and marked finish of a pre-struck coin as a result of the polishing process.
"The coin clearly shows the round nature of 20p blanks prior to being struck. A very nice and interesting error coin indeed."
The coin collected 13 bids, before selling for 622 times its face value for £124.48.
People were taken aback by the amount of money scooped, with one writing on X: "Wild how a 20p coin can turn into £124 just like that! Never underestimate loose change... Gotta start checking my pockets!"
It comes after one expert identified what he believes to be the "rarest" 50p piece - the Kew Gardens 50p. There are just 210,000 in circulation and they can be difficult to spot for the untrained eye.
In a video released on TikTok last June, @CoinCollectingWizard spoke about the rare design: "The Kew Gardens 50p hit the headlines in February 2014 when it was revealed as the most scarce 50p in circulation.
"At the peak of the hype surrounding its value, some coins were exchanging hands for hundreds of pounds. This coin was reissued in 2019 as part of the 50th anniversary of the 50p celebrations, the 2019 version of this coin was a commemorative issue and did not enter general circulation.
"A circulated version of the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p can easily sell for £150 today, a graded uncirculated version can sell for double this."
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People joked online that they "gotta start checking their pockets" after the unique coin sold for over the £100 mark We are living in an increasingly more cashless society, with card and contactless considered king. But there is still a lot of buzz around some coins; their origin, what they represent, and how much they could be worth in a few years. Coins are becoming less common in daily life, which is a shame, as they hold a lot of weight. Coin collectors in particular do not tire from shouting about the beauty and uniqueness of the pieces, which is understandable. And one recent online sale has drawn even more fascination to physical currency - a rare Royal Mint 20p coin, described as "very nice and interesting," which has sold for more than 620 times its face value on eBay. The coin has a slight error, having been struck during the minting process, making it extremely valuable for collectors, according to Sidmouth Herald. The 20p piece has even been wrapped up in a bit of controversy since coming to the public's attention. Amusingly, it sparked a mini bidding war among collectors before selling for nearly £125. The description of the listing on eBay explained: "Striking machines are set so that the dies have a limited travel, this is done to stop the dies crashing into each other in the absence of a coin. "It's my understanding that this coin was struck on a badly set machine, or a trial piece used in set up. Only the higher raised detail of the dies connected, which make the lower details of the coin. "Therefore, lower fields are shiny and well formed, but raised detail is absent." It goes on: "These higher unstruck areas show the correct dull and marked finish of a pre-struck coin as a result of the polishing process. "The coin clearly shows the round nature of 20p blanks prior to being struck. A very nice and interesting error coin indeed." The coin collected 13 bids, before selling for 622 times its face value for £124.48. People were taken aback by the amount of money scooped, with one writing on X: "Wild how a 20p coin can turn into £124 just like that! Never underestimate loose change... Gotta start checking my pockets!" It comes after one expert identified what he believes to be the "rarest" 50p piece - the Kew Gardens 50p. There are just 210,000 in circulation and they can be difficult to spot for the untrained eye. In a video released on TikTok last June, @CoinCollectingWizard spoke about the rare design: "The Kew Gardens 50p hit the headlines in February 2014 when it was revealed as the most scarce 50p in circulation. "At the peak of the hype surrounding its value, some coins were exchanging hands for hundreds of pounds. This coin was reissued in 2019 as part of the 50th anniversary of the 50p celebrations, the 2019 version of this coin was a commemorative issue and did not enter general circulation. "A circulated version of the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p can easily sell for £150 today, a graded uncirculated version can sell for double this." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
