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That 2p in your pocket could be worth up to £1,400

A lot of coins are worth more than their face value

Tom Embury-Dennis
Thursday 08 September 2016 20:57 BST
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(Getty)

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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 Kew Gardens 50p released in 2009 is now described as 'incredibly rare'
The Kew Gardens 50p released in 2009 is now described as 'incredibly rare' (PA)

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.

Undated 20p coin minted in 2008
Undated 20p coin minted in 2008 (eBay)

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.

Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 coin
Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 coin (eBay)

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.

Rare Peter Rabbit 50p coin to commemorate Beatrix Potter's birth 150 years ago
Rare Peter Rabbit 50p coin to commemorate Beatrix Potter's birth 150 years ago (The Royal Mint)

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.

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