Latest news with #ChristopherCollects
Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Experts 'shocked' as 2p with error sells for £750 - check if you have one
This rare coin should be easily distinguishable due to an obvious minting error Brits have been urged to keep an eye out for an obvious error on a 2p coin that could make it extremely valuable. This minting mistake means the piece could be worth as much as £750 to collectors. In a video uploaded to social media platform TikTok, an expert known online as the Coin Collecting Wizard explained what you should be looking for. He told his more than 230,000 followers that an example of this coin recently sold for £750. This 'shocked' auction experts, he said. The content creator said: 'The coin in question is a 2p coin from 1985 which has been struck on the wrong planchet.' A planchet is a round metal disk, also known as a flan or blank, that is used as the starting material for a coin. These discs are then struck with dies to create the final coin design. In the case of this coin, it was mistakenly struck on a planchet meant for 10p coins, giving the 2p a silver appearance. He continued: 'The coin, which has gone under the hammer in Royal Wootten Bassett, was first found among loose change in a piggy bank in the late 1990s. 'The owner reportedly noticed that the coin was unusual as it was a silver colour unlike the standard bronze but kept it as a curiosity until they noticed a similar coin, go up for auction in 2025.' It was initially thought this coin would fetch around £300 to £400 at auction. 'The seller then got in touch with RWB Auctions, where experts predicted it could be worth £300 to £400. But the actual worth of the coin shocked even the most senior members of the auction house when it went under the hammer and sold for £750.' Explaining more about the production of the coin, he added: 'Testing has confirmed that the coin was mistakenly made from cupronickel - the same alloy used for 10p coins. It's also believed that several more like this are still out there, so make sure you look out for any silver 2p coins.' Coin expert and YouTuber Christopher Collects, who works at The Britannia Company, explained how the unusual coin may have been made. As reported by The Sun, he said: 'So somehow a cupronickel silvery-looking blank has managed to get into one of the striking machines and has filtered into the machine whilst they were striking two pence coins. 'There's this great big metal bin that's full of all these blanks – because they're not a coin until they've been struck – and they just lift them up and tip them into a hopper. 'It all gets fed into the machine, and so one of these blanks has managed to get stuck in the machinery and has then dislodged while they're striking two-pence coins. 'They can't check every single one, so normally they would grab a handful and check them over, and it's obviously not been in the handful of coins that they've pulled out to check.'
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rare 2p coin fetches a jaw-dropping £750 at auction: Have you got one in YOUR pocket?
A rare two-pence piece has just sold for £750 at auction today – and Brits have been urged to check their change in case they've got one too. The coin, dated 1985, was found in a piggy bank in the late 1990s, and sold for nearly 40,000 times its face value at auction. Unlike other 2p coins, it's made from cupronickel, a metal alloy normally used for higher-denomination coins such as 10 pence pieces. As a result, it's got a unique silver colour, instead of the usual bronze tint, and will stand out in a handful of change. The coin went the hammer at RWB Auctions in Royal Wootton Bassett earlier this week. Auctioneers estimated it would fetch between £300 and £400 at auction. But the coin more than doubled that, going for a staggering £750. Coin expert and YouTuber Christopher Collects, who works with The Britannia Coin Company, sister firm to RWB Auctions, described how the coin may have come out in silver. He said: 'It's been struck on the wrong metal disk. 'So somehow a cupronickel silvery-looking blank has managed to get into one of the striking machines and has filtered into the machine whilst they were striking two pence coins. 'There's this great big metal bin that's full of all these blanks – because they're not a coin until they've been struck – and they just lift them up and tip them into a hopper. 'It all gets fed into the machine, and so one of these blanks has managed to get stuck in the machinery and has then dislodged while they're striking two pence coins.' He continued: 'They can strike up to 16 coins a second in one of those machines, so you can imagine the sheer volume of coins that they produce when they're minting them for circulation. 'They can't check every single one, so normally they would grab a handful and check them over, and it's obviously not been in the handful of coins that they've pulled out to check.' The coin features a crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by artist Raphael Maklouf which was used on British currency between 1985 and 1997. The reverse features the badge of the Prince of Wales – ostrich plumes within a coronet. Its cupronickel composition has been confirmed using x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology, and it's also been authenticated by a third party, the Numismatic Guaranty Company. It's unclear how many cupronickel 2p pieces are in circulation. 'It's anybody's guess,' said Christopher, 'there is no way to track back how many have been made.' The coin expert says there could be one in your pocket right now. He said: 'If you don't look, you definitely won't find, is what I would normally say. 'It does stand out if you've got a handful of two pence coins and you have a silver-looking one rather than a coppery-looking one. 'This one was found in a piggy bank, so there's every chance that there could be more out there, but they're not going to be in huge numbers.' He added: 'This just sort of highlights the kind of treasure that you can find in your change, in your pocket, in your money jars.'
Scottish Sun
24-04-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
FIVE ultra-rare 10p coins sell for 3,000 times their value thanks to three key details – can you spot them?
It is thought that fewer than 200 of these coins were made IN FOR A PENNY FIVE ultra-rare 10p coins sell for 3,000 times their value thanks to three key details – can you spot them? THREE key details on your 10p coin could make it worth 3,000 times its value, as five sold for £340 at auction yesterday. The ultra-rare pre-production 10ps were issued from the Isle of Man in 1992. 3 The triskeles or triskelion is an ancient symbol associated with the Isle of Man Credit: Bav Media 3 The triskeles is often represented as a spiral of three legs Credit: Bav Media 3 Normally, 1992 Manx 10ps have the letters 'PM' underneath the Queen's neck Credit: Bav Media At the time, UK and Manx 10ps were reduced in size and sold at RWB Auctions in Royal Wootton Bassett. The pre-production trial coins were intended to help businesses calibrate their vending machines and other cash systems before standard coins were introduced into circulation. The items seller requested them from the Isle of Man treasury and retained them for more than 30 years. It is thought that fewer than 200 of these pieces were made, and they have rarely been offered for sale, making them extremely desirable to collectors. The rare 1992 Isle of Man coins can be identified by three hard-to-spot unique features. Below the portrait of the Queen, there are no initials - ordinary 1992 Manx 10ps have the letters 'PM' underneath her neck. There are rounded tails on the number '9's in the date, compared to the pointy tails on standard 10ps. There are the letters 'AA' on the top of the inverted foot of the triskeles design on the tails side. The triskeles or triskelion is an ancient symbol associated with the Isle of Man, often represented as a spiral of three legs. It's often shown on Manx coins, which are popular with coin collectors because of their unique designs. Rare coin with exact date that could be worth £1million Since they are the same size as UK coins, Brits sometimes find Isle of Man change in their change, meaning a rare one could easily be mistaken for a standard British 10p at first glance. Christopher Collects, a modern coin expert for RWB Auctions, said: 'These Manx coins are exceptionally rare, with just a couple of hundred ever made. That makes them so much scarcer than coins you might know about, like the Kew Gardens or Salmon 50ps.'
The Sun
24-04-2025
- General
- The Sun
FIVE ultra-rare 10p coins sell for 3,000 times their value thanks to three key details – can you spot them?
THREE key details on your 10p coin could make it worth 3,000 times its value, as five sold for £340 at auction yesterday. The ultra-rare pre-production 10ps were issued from the Isle of Man in 1992. 3 3 At the time, UK and Manx 10ps were reduced in size and sold at RWB Auctions in Royal Wootton Bassett. The pre-production trial coins were intended to help businesses calibrate their vending machines and other cash systems before standard coins were introduced into circulation. The items seller requested them from the Isle of Man treasury and retained them for more than 30 years. It is thought that fewer than 200 of these pieces were made, and they have rarely been offered for sale, making them extremely desirable to collectors. The rare 1992 Isle of Man coins can be identified by three hard-to-spot unique features. Below the portrait of the Queen, there are no initials - ordinary 1992 Manx 10ps have the letters 'PM' underneath her neck. There are rounded tails on the number '9's in the date, compared to the pointy tails on standard 10ps. There are the letters 'AA' on the top of the inverted foot of the triskeles design on the tails side. The triskeles or triskelion is an ancient symbol associated with the Isle of Man, often represented as a spiral of three legs. It's often shown on Manx coins, which are popular with coin collectors because of their unique designs. Since they are the same size as UK coins, Brits sometimes find Isle of Man change in their change, meaning a rare one could easily be mistaken for a standard British 10p at first glance. Christopher Collects, a modern coin expert for RWB Auctions, said: 'These Manx coins are exceptionally rare, with just a couple of hundred ever made. That makes them so much scarcer than coins you might know about, like the Kew Gardens or Salmon 50ps.'
Scottish Sun
23-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Rare 2p coin sells for eye-watering £400 thanks to unique ‘tint' on its metal… and YOU could have one in your change
An expert encourages you to check your piggy bank for the fluke silver coin SILVER LINING Rare 2p coin sells for eye-watering £400 thanks to unique 'tint' on its metal… and YOU could have one in your change Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RARE silver 2p coin is expected to fetch 20,000 times its face value at auction after being found in a piggy bank. The 1985 coin was cast in the wrong metal, stealing the signature silver sheen traditionally associated with five or ten pence coins. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The silver fox of a penny may be lurking in your piggy bank Credit: Credit: RWB Auctions via Pen News After being found at a piggy bank in the late 1990s, the lucky find was expected to sell for up to £400. It went under the hammer at RWB Auctions in Royal Wootton Bassett at 11am on April 22. Most of these mess-ups are caught well before circulation, meaning those which do reach the streets are highly valuable. Unlike other 2p coins, it's made from cupronickel, a metal alloy normally used for coins of larger values, such as 10 pence coins. Coin expert and YouTuber Christopher Collects, who works at The Britannia Company, described how the unusual coin may have been made. He explained how the wrong value must have been struck on the wrong disc. He added: 'So somehow a cupronickel silvery-looking blank has managed to get into one of the striking machines and has filtered into the machine whilst they were striking two pence coins. 'There's this great big metal bin that's full of all these blanks – because they're not a coin until they've been struck – and they just lift them up and tip them into a hopper. 'It all gets fed into the machine, and so one of these blanks has managed to get stuck in the machinery and has then dislodged while they're striking two-pence coins. 'They can't check every single one, so normally they would grab a handful and check them over, and it's obviously not been in the handful of coins that they've pulled out to check.' 3 The ultimate limited edition coin was valued at £400 Credit: Credit: Pen News 3 Brits have been urged to check their pockets for this rare find Credit: Credit: RWB Auctions via Pen News He continued: "With modern quality control processes, most mistakes of this kind are identified quickly, but it is clear that a small number of 2p error coins were released into circulation in 1985." The copper expert says it's "anybody's guess" how many of the silver 2p coins are in circulation, but pointed out "if you don't look, you won't find." He added: "This just sort of highlights the kind of treasure that you can find in your change, in your pocket, in your money jars." Basically, check your piggy bank, folks, as your old school 2ps might earn you a pretty payday. The Royal Mint produce 2 billion coins a year, but modern checking has made errors rarer, and therefore, fluke faulty coins more valuable. The coin sports a crowned portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II by artist Raphael Maklouf, which was used on British currency between 1985 and 1997. On the flip side, the iconography of the Prince of Wales, complete with ostrich plumes perched on a coronet engraved.
