Rare 20p error coin sells for £59 on eBay – how to spot if your change is worth a mint – The Sun

A RARE 20p coin has fetched an impressive £59 on eBay because it's been minted with a mistake on it.

The silver-coloured coin is one of a rare batch that was made without the year that it was made stamped on it.

Back in 2008, all coins from 1p to £1 were redesigned by Matthew Dent moving the dates from the tails side to the heads side.

The Royal Mint accidentally struck a batch of 20ps with the old design meaning none of the coins had a date on them.

The mistake wasn't noticed until it was too late, and up to 250,000 of the "mule" coins made it into circulation.

They became the first undated coins to enter circulation in over 300 years, since 1672 during the reign of King Charles II.

The limited number makes them valuable to a collector, meaning if one turns up in your change you're likely to make a profit.

This particular coin was listed for 99p and attracted over 28 bids from seven prospective buyers, pushing up the price.

The coin has been circulated but doesn't come with verification from the Royal Mint that it is genuine.

Other coins from the dateless batch have also sold around the same price, fetching between £45 and £59.

What to do if you've got a rare coin

FIRSTLY, you need to make sure the coin is legit and not counterfeit. The Royal Mint is unable to value a coin but it can confirm whether it is real or not.

They will usually supply you with a letter to confirm this. Once you’ve found out whether the coin is real or not, you have a number of options – either selling it through a coin dealer, at auction or on eBay.

If you want to sell the coin you’ve found in your spare change on eBay then you need to know the risks.

Remember to set a minimum price that is higher or at the very least equal to the face value of the coin.

Even if your coin “sells” on eBay for a high price there’s no guarantee that the buyer will cough out.

It its terms and conditions, the auction website states that bidders enter a “legally binding contract to purchase an item”, but there’s no way to enforce this rule in reality.

For more information about what to do if you've found a rare coin, read our guide.

To find out if yours is worth a small fortune, check to see if the date is along the outer edge of your coin.

It will be on the top left hand side of the 20p, at the start of the inscription: "Elizabeth II . dei . gra . reg . fid . def".

If you can't spot if there, check the tails side for a date that will be struck in the upper third of the coin, with two numbers either side of the rose.

If your coin hasn't got a date on it then it's likely to be one of the 2008 coins but you should get it verified by the Royal Mint to make sure.

The Royal Mint manufactures three million to four million coins a day and sometimes things go wrong during the minting process.

We've put together a guide to the most valuable error coins that could be worth up to £1,500.

If you find an error coin in your change and you want to sell it, you should start by checking on eBay to see how much similar coins have recently sold for.

It’s easy for someone to list a coin for thousands of pounds but the "completed" listings will give you a more realistic idea of sold prices.

Also remember to factor in listing fees before deciding whether to sell the coin.
For specialist coins, or ones that are much older and have a higher value, speak to an expert. Try a valuation service such as Chards.co.uk.

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