Brits have been urged to keep an eye out for a seemingly ordinary coin that could be worth a staggering £2,500. Certain £1 pieces could feature a minute error that makes them extremely valuable to collectors.
The coin in question is a £1 coin from 2016. This will be a newer-style £1 with 12-sides.
Although the 12-sided coins were officially introduced in March 2017, the Royal Mint produced more than 500 million in 2016 to prepare for the switch. What makes this specific coin especially costly is the fact it will feature a tiny “2017” on its reverse (tails) side. This date will be so small it could be hard to see.
Speaking on social media platform TikTok, an expert known as the Coin Collecting Wizard told his followers what to look for. He explained: “This is a United Kingdom £1 coin and there is a rare dual dated error worth a lot of money.
“Here is what you need to look out for. You’re looking for a 2016 obverse [heads side] dated coin with 2017 micro micro-engraving on the reverse.
“The micro-engraving is so small, you may need a microscope.” According to the collector, this particular piece has been known to fetch up to £2,500.
He continued: “We understand that at least one example was sold for £2,500 to a buyer in Spain in 2017. The error is particularly difficult to spot due to the size of the micro engraving so be sure to keep an eye out for this one.”
He added: “It’s worth checking any 2016 coins as it is one of the hardest errors to spot. Remember, you are looking for a 2016 obverse dated coin with 2017 micro engraving on the reverse. So make sure to check all your 2016 £1 coins and make yourself some quick cash.
“This is such an easy error to miss because it is so small. Good luck.”
His advice is backed by experts at Change Checker, who said: “We understand that at least one example was sold for £2,500 to a buyer in Spain in 2017, which probably marks the likely ceiling for value. Probably more dual-dated £1 coins have been struck than the 2p coins.
“However, the error is particularly difficult to spot due to the size of the micro-engraving. Bearing all that in mind, our best value estimate for a dual-dated £1 Coin in excellent condition is currently £300 – £500.”
At the time of reporting, one dual-error 2016 £1 coin was listed on eBay for £1,500.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.