That 2p in your pocket could be worth up to £1,400
A lot of coins are worth more than their face value
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Your piggy bank may be a lot more valuable than you first thought.
Earlier this year, a 2p coin sold for almost £1,400 at auction because it was silver instead of copper.
So far only two have been found, but there could be more in circulation waiting to be sold for a small fortune.
The coins are made when a blank 10p piece accidentally ends up being pressed using a 2p mint, according to This is Money.
While you’ll need to be very lucky to find another, there are various common coins worth a lot more than their face value.
About 210,000 ‘Pagoda’ 50p coins are in circulation in the UK, with each typically being sold for around £30-50 on eBay.
The coins can be identified by the image on the ‘tails’ side of the iconic Kew Gardens Pagoda. But with almost 950 million regular 50p coins, they are going to be difficult to spot.
In 2008, the Royal Mint launched a series of 20p coins missing the year they were issued.
Heralded as the “Holy Grail of change collecting”, buyers are willing to pay up to £100 each for them.
The rarest £2 coin is considered to be the Northern Ireland 2002 Commonwealth Games version.
Issued 14 years ago, 485,000 were minted, with each on sale for around £20 on eBay.
Assuming most are still in circulation, that is one for every 132 people in the UK.
The newest coin worth a lot more than its intrinsic value is the 'Peter Rabbit' 50p.
These were released at Easter to celebrate the 150th anniversary of author Beatrix Potter’s birth. The Royal Mint hasn’t revealed how many it made, but they are currently worth around £20.
If you think you have a rare coin, you can get it verified for free at The Royal Mint Museum.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments