Brits have been urged to “keep an eye out” for a rare coin that could be worth over £1,000. This two pence piece features a striking error that makes it especially sought after by collectors.
A coin expert known online as the Coin Collecting Wizard instructed people what to look for. In a video uploaded to his TikTok account, he described a two pence coin that is struck on silver, rather than nickel, giving it a distinctive look.
He explained: “This rare coin was made of silver instead of nickel due to an error in production. Pay close attention to the normal copper penny and the rare silver error penny.
“It was struck using the steel base of a 10p, instead of the copper-plated steel used for normal 2p coins.” It is thought that versions of this coin exist from the years 1971, 1992 – 2018, and 2001.
If you find the 1971 version it is important to note it will have the words “new pence” on the reverse side rather than “two pence”. This is because the new decimal system of coins had just started in the UK.
Though there is no set value to these coins, one sold in 2016 for the hefty price of £1,350, which is 67,000 times its face value. As reported by the BBC, this coin was initially thought to be fake when it was discovered in a Poppy Appeal tin.
The coin collector continued: “One of these coins sold in online auctions for £485. However, another silver two-piece sold for £1,350 – 67,000 times its face value.
“Another went on sale for £485 on eBay. Another sold for £800, raising money for the Royal Berkshire Hospital.”
At the time of reporting a 1971 version of the coin was listed on eBay for £1,893.72. Another one, from 1989, is listed for £600.
The expert added: “So be sure to keep an eye out for this silver 2p error as you never know when you might come across this one… You just never know when you might come across some crazy error coins worth a lot of money.”
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