This error is “so small you may need a microscope” but highly valuable
Brits have been urged to keep an eye out for a highly valuable £1 coin in circulation. This piece has reportedly sold for £2,500 in the past.
But it needs to feature a tiny error to be particularly valuable. In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, an expert known as the Coin Collecting Wizard introduced his followers to this rare £1 coin from 2016.
The new 12-sided £1 coins entered circulation in the UK in April 2017, although a number of coins had also been minted in 2016 in preparation. However, some were struck with a tiny error along its rim. The error means that the main date of the coin, by the Queen’s head will say “2016” while a tiny inscription on its outer rim will say “2017”.
The expert estimated that the coin is worth around £500 but acknowledged that an example of this coin has sold for five times this amount. He said: “There is a rare £1 coin that you must search for worth £500.
“Here is what you need to look out for. You’re looking for a 2016 obverse [head side] dated coin with 2017 micro-engraving on the reverse [tail side].
“The micro-engraving is so small you may need a microscope. We understand that at least one example was sold for £2,500 to a buyer in Spain in 2017. The error is particularly difficult to spot due to the size of the micro-engraving, so be sure to keep an eye out for this one.
“It’s worth checking any 2016 coins as it is one of the hardest errors to spot. Remember you are looking for a 2016 obverse-dated coin with 2017 micro engraving on the reverse.
So make sure to check all your 2016 £1 coins and make yourself some quick cash.”
Experts at Change Checker backed his advice. They said: “Firstly, although both 2016 and 2017 obverse-dated £1 coins entered circulation in April 2017, the die-error mix-up appears to have only occurred on a limited number of coins with a 2016 date on the Queen’s head side. So it’s worth checking any 2016 coins.
“You’ll need to look just inside the rim of the design-side of the coin, where you will see some tiny writing. You’ll almost certainly need a microscope to properly see the writing, which should reveal the date.”
According to them, an example of this coin was sold for £2,500 to a buyer in Spain in 2017. However, they estimated that the value of this coin, in excellent condition, is between £300 and £500.
