A coin collector has revealed that you could be carrying around a two pence coin in your loose change that is worth a whopping £1,000 – here’s how to spot if you have one
A two pence coin that was issued in 1983 contained an error on one side that although a mistake at the time, now means it is worth a fortune.
The use of cash has been dwindling in the UK and in many countries of the world for the last decade. The convenience of being able to purchase items via digital means such as contactless payments, mobile wallets and online banking as well as the surge in online shopping habits has led to many ditching bank notes and coins entirely.
There’s no doubt it’s quick and easy to pay digitally but there are advantages to making physical purchases with cash. It can make budgeting more straightforward, especially in a time when the cost of living continues to rise with inflation. You are much less likely to forget you’ve spent money, overspend or make impulse buys if you have a wallet of money containing what you are able to use.
However there’s also another reason you might want to hang onto those pesky coins weighing down your pockets and bags Although they might seem to be pretty worthless, especially the coppers in this day and age, they could be worth much more than you think.
One coin collector has revealed exactly what to look out for in your handful of change if you want to improve the state of your bank balance. He claims that there’s a particular coin that is worth a whopping £1,000 and has appealed for his followers to be on the hunt for it
On his TikTok page DansDollars, he showed a bog standard two pence coin and said he’s often asked what the value of the 1980 piece is. He shows the design of this particular coin and explains its features: “This is the 1980 two ‘new pence’ coin first released into circulation in 1971,” he says as he explains: “The two ‘new pence’ design stayed on coinage until 1982, well supposedly.”
He holds the coin to show the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II looking to the right with the Latin inscription behind her head which translates to ‘by the grace of God , Queen, Defender of the Faith’ next to the year of issue, which is 1980. He flips the coin over to show the other side which features feathers from the badge of the Prince of Wales.
He then reveals that this coin is worth its face value of two pence. However he goes on to explain that a new coin was issued shortly after. “In 1983 the two ‘new pence’ changed to the two pence,” he says as he holds up a different coin. He continues: “The first batch of the 1983 coins didn’t feature two pence the new design, they still by accident featured the old one [which he held up first].
“So if you’ve got a 1983 two ‘new pence’ coin at home, your coin is an error coin and it’s worth £1,000 – yes you heard that correctly,” he says excitedly. He then holds both coins up showing the designs of the plumes of ostrich feathers and adds: “Let us know if you’ve got it, it really would be incredible.”
Have you ever discovered you have an item worth a lot of money? Let us know in the comments below.
