Checked down the back off your sofa or in the change you had from that takeaway recently?
There are some coins lingering around that could be worth more money than you think.
We all check-out ominous coins in our change for small fortunes, especially when the media frenzy over coinage that is prized more than their actual value imprinted on them, according to The Mirror .
According to experts, here are the most valuable coins in circulation right now.
How much is your £2 worth?
Commonwealth £2:
To commemorate the Northern Ireland 2002 Commonwealth Games, this is one of the rarest £2 coins in circulation as less than 500,000 were minted. They can sell online for anything between £15 and £25.
Charles Dickens £2 :
In 2012, the famous author was commemorated on his 200th with a special coin which features the famous titles of his books. They can now sell for double their worth, sometimes more depending on their condition.
Out and about in London
'Typo' Guy Fawkes coin:
The Royal Mint released a commemorative 50p in 2005 on the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder plot but some of those had a slightly embarrassing typo and read 'Pemember, pemember the Fifth of November'. They sell online for between £5 and £7, typically.
The valuable 50ps
Olympic Swimmer 50p:
The original Olympic aquatic coin with the wavy lines across the swimmer's face became very collectible as only 600 were released before the design was altered.
600 is a tiny, tiny amount in the world of coin collecting and so these coins are changing hands for upwards of £800.
The latest on the Hayes shooting
Peter Rabbit 50p:
These enchanting Beatrix Potter coins were released only to a limited number of attractions and National Trust properties and the Royal Mint has not revealed precisely how many it has minted.
Some are retailing online for between £5 and £15, although some sellers are cheekily trying to sell them for a few hundred. Special editions featuring a range of Beatrix Potter animals in colour are still available via the Royal Mint for £55.
The Euro 50p:
Representing the EC Single Market, the 1992 50p coin can sell online for around £50-£55.
These are the old-fashioned chunky 50 pences so you are unlikely to turn one up in your change, but it could be worth checking any long-term penny jars for.
Kew Garden 50p :
The 50 pence coin stamped with the Kew Gardens Pagoda is relatively rare, with just 210,000 minted compared to a standard minting of around 5 million. That means they can sell for £30-£50 if you can find a collector. At their peak demand they were selling online for as much as £120.
WWF 50p:
This commemorative coin is selling for more than £10, even if it has been in circulation a while and is no longer in (literal) mint condition.
Be careful when buying as some of these standard coins are being advertised at massively inflated prices. However, a few of the rarer editions are selling for hundreds of pounds – so look carefully when comparing.
Here are the most valuable £1 coins:
Due to the launch of the £1 coins, there consequently isn't many versions out there that are valuable.
But that doesn't mean there are none.
The two key things to look out for are so-called "trial coins" - these were sent out early to shops and businesses so they could check all their vending machines and tills worked properly with the new design.
You can spot them by their dates - if you see a coin with a 2015 or 2016 date you could be on to a winner.
The other valuable coin is to seek out is mistakes.
We've been made aware of a few examples of what looks like new £1 designs being stamped on old £1 blanks.
The first one that came to light, sold for £205 on eBay after receiving 22 bids.
The latest headlines
There's even some valuable coppers
In the near future, the UK might cease to use pennies as they aren't worth much - or so it what recently suggested.
But there is still some coppers that are worth more than their value.
Silver 2p:
Poppy collectors were given a 2p coin that they assumed was fake because it was silver. However, it turned out to be an incredibly rare and valuable 'minting error', where a blank 10p was accidentally cast as a 2p.
The Legion auctioned it for more than £1,400 – but the donor probably didn't even notice.
'New pence' or 'two pence'?
All 2p coins minted after 1982 will be stamped as 'two pence', however those minted before this date will actually say 'new pence'.
However, an early error means that a number of 2p coins from 1983 still show 'new pence', meaning coins with that year stamped on can sell for several hundreds of pounds.
Rare 10p coins
The original 10p was first issued in 1968 as a larger, silver coin. In 1992 the 10p was made smaller, lighter and generally more convenient - these are the ones classed as legal tender today.
In March 2018, the Royal Mint introduced a collection of 26 "alphabet" 10p coins into circulation - initially printing 2.6 million of them, with each representing a different British tradition.
This included the Post Office, zebra crossings and even cricket - but coin experts at Change Checker believe five of them will become the most popular, and therefore the hardest to get hold of.
Their list of ones to watch for include:
B for James Bond
E for English Breakfast
F for Fish and Chips
J for Jubilee
T for Tea
L for Loch Ness Monster
Here are rarest 5p coins
The new 5p was one of the first of a new breed of coin introduced in 1990, significantly smaller and lighter than the old coin it replaced - it was minted in massive numbers.
In the first year more than a billion were struck, and subsequent mintages were in the hundreds of millions.
The 5p from 1993
Not many 5p coins were produced in 1993, so if you see a coin with that date - hold on to it as none released for general circulation and fewer than 60,000 made for annual sets.
Sadly, you won't be retiring on the money you make from finding one - with recent examples sold on eBay going for no more than £13.50 - but that's still an awful lot more than 5p.
Rare 5p error coins from 2008:
2008 wasn't a good year for the Royal Mint. It's the year they famously released 250,000 date-free 20ps.
It's also the year an unknown number of 5ps were struck where the back is upside down compared with the front.
These are incredibly rare, and sell for more than £50 online, so it's always worth checking them.
Rare coins coming in 2018
In the past couple of years, limited edition releases of 50ps and £2 coins have been disappearing almost as fast as they have arrived, as collectors rushed to collect them all.
But if you know what you're looking for, you may have a higher chance of finding one. Here's our list of ones to watch:
- Dr Frankenstein’s monster £2 coin - It's been 200 years since Mary Shelley published her short novel telling of the creation of new life, and this special edition £2 coin will celebrate the birth of the legend.
- 100 years of women voting 50p - The Representation of the People Act was passed in 1918, exactly a century ago, giving women over 30 the right to vote. This anniversary will be celebrated with a 2018 UK 50p coin.
Stories you might have missed
- The end of the "war to end all wars" £2 coin - The Royal Mint is releasing a £2 coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War Armistice, when finally the guns ceased and silence fell over the battlefields of the Western Front.
- The birth of the RAF £2 coin - This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force and to honour it, the Royal Mint is releasing a special Royal Air Force £2 coin.
- Peter Rabbit and friends - This collection continues for the third year running, with the Royal Mint set to release four more Peter Rabbit inspired coins in silver and colour. This will include yet another Peter Rabbit, followed by Flopsy Bunny, Mrs Tittlemouse and a helpful mouse from 'The Tailor of Gloucester'. All will be available to buy on the Royal Mint website .
Are you out of your mind, I can't remember these
If you're not willing to print out and carry this article around in your wallet then there is another option.
The ChangeChecker website allows you to quickly identify coins and their scarcity – as well as see regular blog posts on coins which have become popular with collectors.
How often do coins in circulation suddenly become 'valuable'?
Philip Mussell, the director of Coin News, explains how this happens.
He says:"One is when a mistake is made by the Royal Mint, like a 20p without a date, for example, or a 1983 2p coin accidentally printed with the old wording 'New Pence'. Mistakes are eminently collectable.
"Other collectibles are redesigns or limited edition releases. For example, an Olympic 50p with a swimmer was recently re-released.
"The first minting had a swimmer with waves obscuring her face but the designer didn't want that, so they unobscured her face and made it clear of wavy lines. That’s now quite collectable.
West London's shootings
What should I do if I find a rare coin?
The time to sell is usually when the media storm breaks and the value - and demand - shoots up.
"The thing you have to understand is how much demand there is, how many collectors want one? Take the Kew Gardens coins, for example, they estimate there are 200,000 out there.
"How many collectors want them? Probably not 200,000 – demand is highest at the beginning because that’s when those collectors are looking for them. Once they've got one, they won’t want another one; that’s not how collecting works.
"Very rare coins like the 1983 2p are so rare that they may very well go up, at least by inflation. But those other coins you probably want to act fast if you want to sell," adds Philip.
How do I even spot a rare coin?
The easiest way is to keep an eye out and do some research.
"It can be big news when a coin with a mistake is discovered, it makes the papers. But you can find out more about the coins that people want by reading Coin News or following us on Twitter @coinsandmedals.
"The more you read about them, the more likely you are to spot them."
Eat and drink like a King in London
Look out for Paddington Bear
A new Paddington Bear 50p coin is the latest rare coin to be in circulation according to The Mirror.
The Royal Mint has announced that two 50p coin designs featuring the beloved bear will enter UK circulation from October.
The coin designs depict the Peruvian bear in two locations from his adventures - sitting on his suitcase at Paddington station and on a day out at Buckingham Palace.
Silver proof and brilliant uncirculated coins are still available to buy on the Royal Mint's website as well as an album in which to store the coins.
The first plain-metal circulating versions of the coins will soon be found in people's change, the Royal Mint said.
Nicola Howell, director of consumer coin at the Royal Mint, said: "If you enjoy collecting coins, then keep your eyes peeled for Paddington Bear in your change and keep them safe in their own special collector album.
"Paddington Bear is well-loved and a part of British popular culture, and we're incredibly proud to be playing a part in the 60th anniversary celebrations."
