The 2p worth 67,850 times its face value
The world’s only silver-coloured two pence piece was sold on Friday at Charterhouse Auctions in Dorset for £1,357 – equivalent to 67,580 times its face value.
The silver-coloured 2p coin was discovered in 1988
The lucky owner, David Didcock, discovered the coin in 1988 while readying the till at the petrol station he owned at the time.
The silver colour stood out immediately, and recognising its significance, he sent it off to the Royal Mint who verified its authenticity.
Since then it has been wrapped in cotton wool and kept it in a drawer for 26 years before David finally decided it was the right time to sell.
One of a kind
It is believed that the errant coin came into existence when a single cupro-nickel blank used for 5p and 10p pieces was accidentally mixed up with a batch of bronze blanks intended for striking 2p coins.
This is not the first time a Royal Mint error has dramatically inflated the value of a coin. In 2008 when the reverse of the 20p coin changed to the Royal Shield design, around 100,000 coins were accidentally struck with the previous obverse die, and as a result there was no date on the coin. The story of the undated 20p took the collecting world by storm, and even today they are selling for in excess of £50.
Another famous error is the 1983 Two Pence which was incorrectly struck with the old wording ‘New Pence’. It is not known how many have made it into circulation, but if sold at auction it is thought they could be worth several hundred pounds.
The minting process is never completely exempt from human error, so remember to always check your change carefully. Mistakes happen, and when it comes to coins, these mistakes can often be worth a lot money to sharp-eyed collectors.
Collectors paying 700% over face value for a Commonwealth Games 50p
The 2014 Commonwealth Games 50p has already taken the collecting world by storm, with mint condition coins changing hands on eBay just days after entering circulation.
Coins are being sold on eBay for over 7 times their face value
As speculation grows about the mintage of the latest must-have coin, collectors are battling to secure theirs immediately – and they don’t mind where they get them from or how much they pay.
The over-inflated prices are a telling reminder of the lengths which avid collectors will go to for the right coin.
But it’s a familiar story. Earlier this year Kew Gardens 50ps were being sold on ebay for hundreds of pounds and the coin has since become the Holy Grail amongst Change Checkers. Nowadays collectors are wary of history repeating, and it seems many are willing to shell out substantially more than face value for the latest commemorative 50p.
The most collectable 50p since the Olympics?
A new commemorative coin has just entered circulation which could well become the most collected 50p since the Olympic series in 2012. Collectors all over the country are checking their change right now in an attempt to find the new 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 50p.
The new Commonwealth Games 50p features a dynamic sporting design
Struck by The Royal Mint, this legal tender UK coin has been designed by Alex Loudon in the ‘arts and crafts’ style. Two athletes are intersected by the Scottish Saltire, and the words XX Commonwealth Games Glasgow fill the top right section of the surprisingly distinctive 50p.
But this coin has been attracting attention from collectors for another reason…
Collecting fever
In 2011 The Royal Mint issued a series of 29 different Olympic themed 50ps – one to represent each sport. With London 2012 around the corner, these coins suddenly became THE must-have collectables to commemorate the Games. Collectors still can’t resist flicking through their change to find the elusive last two or three coins they are missing.
A bag of 2014 Commonwealth Games 50ps, have you found one yet?
Now, 2 years on, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 50p looks set to become the next collecting sensation – as the race to find the first sports-themed British coin since the Olympics begins in earnest.
With the mintage figures as yet unconfirmed by The Royal Mint, this coin could well be the rarest of the lot, but only time will tell. Have you found yours yet?