Rare 20p sells for 300 times face value after eBay bidding war
A RARE 20p coin has sold for 300 times its face value after a bidding war took place on eBay.
The coin rose in value due to an error by the Royal Mint after the undated silver piece was released into circulation.
The 20 cent piece is called a “mule” or “undated” and the country was littered with thousands when they were accidentally released into circulation.
The Royal Mint’s mistake was caused after they changed the design in 2008 and moved the date on it from the back of the coin to the front.
However, some silver pieces were made with the old die, which meant there was no date on either side of the coin.
This particular mule is one of them and was listed on the bidding site eBay for 99p, but sold for an impressive £59.58 on February 27, it was reported The mirror.
The listing read: “I am selling my coin collection and there will be so many other coins listed, don’t miss this.
“Dateless 20p coin. All coins are sent as special consignment by Royal Mail.”
RARE COINS AND THEIR PRICES
The most valuable coins are usually those with a low mintage number, historically important or an error.
If you think you have one, the next step would be to look at what has sold on eBay recently to get a target price for what punters will pay for it.
1. Two extremely rare 50p pieces, sold for £2,500, the coins were made to commemorate the 2012 Olympic Games and were marked with images of swimmers.
2. A 20p coin that sells for a whopping £1,400 at auction thanks to a unique detail. The valuable jewel minted in 1990 was sold at Tennants Auctioneers in Harrogate, North Yorks.
3. A silver 2p coin selling on eBay for £485 – thousands of times more than its face value. The 2p is dated 1989 and made of cupro-nickel, which is the same as a 10p coin.
4. A 50p coin selling for 284 times its value after a bidding war on eBay. The 2009 coin sold for £142 on the online marketplace and is one of the most “sought after” 50p coins.
5. A 20p coin that was also struck with an error and sold on eBay for £57 after a bidding war ensued.
It is estimated by the company that there could be as many as 250,000 of these coins in circulation, and according to Change Checker, this is the first undated coin to be issued on both sides in three centuries.
The Royal Mint makes between three and four million coins a day, so it can be difficult for them to say exactly how many coins with errors are in circulation.
But it is not the only coin that has been sold for a tidy profit
In 2015, a particular £2 naval coin was minted to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.
The coin depicts a Royal Navy dreadnought sailing across the North Sea, with a biplane flying in the sky behind it.
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