It’s believed there are some rare, special edition 50p Brexit coins in circulation that could be worth tens of thousands of pounds because of an error in the date stamped on them
You might want to check the loose change in your pocket, wallet or purse because it could be worth a whole lot more than you think.
The use of cash in the UK and worldwide is declining as consumers turn to digital methods such as online banking, debit cards and contactless payments. There’s also the added bonus of not having to carry around a wallet full of coins, which can be weighty if there’s no notes in the shop’s till and you get given a handful of change to cart about for the rest of the day.
However, if you’re in the digital camp, you may want to rethink your relationship with the old school payment method because it could be worth much more than you think. Paying more attention to the cumbersome coins in your pocket is definitely a sensible thing to do because there are some rare and very valuable special editions in circulation that could improve your bank balance no end.
The Royal Mint makes the coins that are used in Britain and sometimes they issue special commemorative ones to mark significant national or occasions or royal events. Examples of these are the 50p Kew Gardens coin, the UK Pride 50p and the Queen Elizabeth memorial 50 pence, which were all released into general circulation.
However there are also some which contain mistakes, making them highly prized and valuable. To mark the planned Brexit day of 31 October 2019, around a million 50p coins were made but they had to be melted down and recycled when then prime minister Boris Johnson had to seek an extension.
It was believed all of them were destroyed but it seems two survived and have recently turned up. The two rare finds were handed to auction house Spink & Son, which specialises in the sale of coins, after being discovered by “lucky coin hunters” in their loose change.
Gregory Edmund, a numismatic specialist from Spink & Son auction house, told The Telegraph: “Ever since the official London Gazette notice for the 2019 Brexit 50 pence has existed, I have wondered if survivors of the one million cancelled coins would one day surface.
“Given the extremely stringent security at the Royal Mint, to suddenly have two examples survive, and be available for study at the same time, is a unique opportunity. This truly feels like my Charlie Bucket moment discovering the numismatic Golden Ticket.”
They are the only two coins known to be in circulation, although a Royal Mint spokesman told the publication they couldn’t confirm their validity as it was believed the one million coins with the October date were destroyed.
As well as the incorrect October date, the Brexit 50 pence coins also feature the inscription, “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations.” A thousand trial coins were also made to mark the first exit date of 29 March 29 2019, which was missed by the previous prime minister Theresa May. They were recycled into new coins featuring the correct exit deadline of 31 January 2020.
Edmund believes the coins could fetch over £40,000 if they were to go to auction and Spink & Son is appealing to the public to submit any commemorative Brexit 50 pences they come across for appraisal by emailing: [email protected]
