Exact date to spot on rare 2p coin worth up to £1,000 – could you have one in your change?
Watch our exclusive video to see if you could have even more rare coins in your wallet
A RARE 2p coin could fetch you as much as £1,000 so it’s worth rummaging around if you’re a hoarder of spare change.
Some of us may have rare coins hidden in wallets or down sofas and they could be worth a bit of dosh.
All 2p coins struck between 1971 and 1981 had the words “new pence” on the reverse side of the coin, according to the Royal Mint.
After that, the wording was changed to “two pence”.
But in 1983, a small number of coins were mistakenly struck with the words “new pence” again.
That glitch has made these coins extremely valuable for collectors.
So you’ll need to look out for a coin from 1983 that says “new pence” – other coins won’t be worth anything more than 2p.
The Royal Mint doesn’t know how many there are in existence, but if you have one in your change, you could be well and truly in the money.
Kimberly Day from The Britannia Coin Company said: “Coin specialists call scarce coins like this ‘mules’ because they were made with mismatched designs, like a mule, which is the offspring of a horse and a donkey.
“1983 ‘New Pence’ 2p coins were produced with the wrong tails side, which should say ‘TWO PENCE’.
“Most 1983 2p coins do say ‘TWO PENCE’, but a small number have the sought-after ‘NEW PENCE’ wording.
“Mistakes on modern UK coins happen very infrequently, and errors like this are sought-after by serious collectors.
The rare 2ps coins have been known to fetch up to £1,000 at auction in the past.
The Sun checked eBay, and while we couldn’t find a coin fetching a sum quite this high, we found one that sold for £100 on June 1.
Another one fetched £235.82 on May 28, while a third sold for a whopping £786 on April 24.
If you can’t find this particular 2p coin, we’ve got the ten most in demand coins and notes right now which could be worth up to £388.
Plus, we have revealed the rarest and most valuable Olympic coins to look out for ahead of Paris 2024 worth up to £1,000.
How to check if a coin is rare
IT's time to check the loose change in your wallet and your pockets for rare coins.
But how exactly do you spot one? The Sun’s senior consumer reporter Olivia Marshall explains.
In most cases, a coin is rare if it has a low mintage figure – which is set by The Royal Mint.
The mintage figure relates to how many of the coins were made, so the fewer there are of them, the rarer they are.
You can find out what coins are rare and how they look on The Royal Mint’s website.
Your next step after this is seeing if the same coin is still available to buy in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality from an official Royal Mint distributor, according to Change Checker.
These coins have been specially made to a superior quality which differentiates them from other coins you might find in your pocket.
How to sell a rare coin
If, after checking, you realise you’ve come across a rare coin, there’s a number of ways you can sell it.
You can sell it on eBay, through Facebook, or in an auction.
But be wary of the risks.
For example, there are a number of scams targeting sellers on Facebook.
Crooks will say they’re planning to buy the item and ask for money upfront for a courier they’ll be sending around.
But it’s all a ruse to get you to send free cash to them – and they never have any intention of picking your item up.
It’s always best to meet in person when buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace.
Ensure it’s a public meeting spot that’s in a well-lit area.
Avoid payment links and log in directly through the payment method’s website.
Most sellers prefer to deal with cash directly when meeting to ensure it’s legitimate.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction.
You can organise this with The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
You will be charged for the service, though – the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.
Meanwhile, you can sell rare coins on eBay.
But take into account that if you manage to sell your item then eBay will charge you 10% of the money you made – this includes postage and packaging.
Always keep proof of postage to protect yourself from dodgy buyers who may claim they never received the item.
Send the parcel by tracked delivery if you can as this way they can’t claim it never arrived.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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