Rare 20p sells for 300 times its face value after eBay bidding war – could you have one down the back of your sofa?
A RARE 20p coin has sold for 300 times its face value after a bidding war took place on eBay.
The coin rose in value because of a Royal Mint mistake, after it released the silver piece into circulation without a date.
The 20p piece is called a “mule” or “undated” and the country was littered with thousands of them when they were accidently released into circulation.
The Royal Mint’s mistake was caused after they changed the design in 2008 and the date on them was moved from the back of the coin to the front.
However, some of the silver pieces were made with the old die which meant a date wasn’t placed on either side of the coin.
This particular mule is one of them, and was listed on bidding site eBay for 99p – but sold for an impressive £59.58 on February 27, reported The Mirror.
The listing read: “Selling up my collection of coins, so many others to be listed, don’t miss out.
“Dateless 20p coin. All coins will be sent as special delivery by Royal Mail.”
RARE COINS AND THEIR PRICES
The most valuable coins tend to be ones with low mintage numbers, historically important, or an error.
If you think you have one the next step would be to take a look at what has recently sold on eBay to get a guide price for what punters are paying for them.
1. Two ultra rare 50p pieces sold for £2,500, the coins were made to commemorate the 2012 Olympic Games and were marked with images of swimmers.
2. A 20p coin sold for a whooping £1,400 at an auction thanks to a unique detail. The valuable gem minted in 1990 sold at Tennants Auctioneers in Harrogate, North Yorks.
3. A silver 2p coin sold on eBay for £485 – thousands of times more than face value. The 2p is dated 1989 and made from cupro-nickel, which is the same as a 10p coin.
4. A 50p coin sold for 284 times its value after a bidding war on eBay. The 2009 coin sold for £142 on the online marketplace and is one of the most “sought after” 50p coins.
5. A 20p coin that was also minted with an error sold on eBay for £57 after sparking a bidding war.
It’s been estimated by the firm that there could be as many as 250,000 of the coins in circulation, and according to Change Checker it’s the first coin to be released without a date on either side for three centuries.
The Royal Mint makes between three and four million coins a day, so it can be difficult for them to say exactly how many coins with errors are in circulation.
But It’s not the only coin that’s been sold for a tidy profit
A certain Navy £2 coin was minted in 2015 to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.
The coin shows a Royal Navy dreadnought sailing across the North Sea, and a biplane flying in the sky behind it.