Exact etching to spot on ‘quintessentially British’ 10p that’s worth up to 800 times its face value – check your pockets
COIN experts have revealed how to spot the rare coin that could be worth up to 800 times its original value.
The unusual 10p coin was minted in 2018 and has a specific mark that collectors and amateurs should keep an eye out for.
Part of the "Great British Coin Hunt", the collection of change was created with a nod to various things that could be considered "quintessentially British".
From fish and chips to James Bond, the uniquely-designed range was quickly snapped up as it was a popular hit.
Advertised on eBay, some of the coins are estimated to go for around £80 with a full collection being listed for just under £200.
The Royal Mint even sold a collector's album to hold that year's uncirculated and circulated editions.
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Describing the coin hunt, the website reveals that 26 different coins were released.
Each one represented a different letter of the alphabet and featured a Great British icon.
From landmarks like Stonehenge to a Double Decker Bus, the Quintessential A to Z was a nod to the Nation's heritage.
It is thought some lucky individuals could be unknowing owners of the coins and it has been advised people check their loose change and pockets.
The Royal Mint post read: "To mark the London 2012 Games, The Royal Mint struck a set of 29 designs featuring Olympic and Paralympic sports onto a set of commemorative 50p coins.
"A number of them also entered circulation.
"The coins were the talk of Britain amongst families, neighbours, colleagues and friends, capturing the imagination of the nation, as people from all generations checked their change enthusiastically for the designs they were ‘missing’ from their collection.
"Those who simply wished to obtain a full set for themselves had fun buying the commemorative coin editions for themselves.
"A year on from the games, 70 per cent of the circulating editions had disappeared from the nation’s change, seized by would-be coin collectors for their piggy banks, collector folders and money boxes, indicating the popularity of coin hunting with the British public.
"The Great British Coin Hunt’ provides a similar challenge to collect A to Z designs, struck onto the popular, easily accessible, 10p piece.
"The Quintessentially British A-Z 10p coins are back by popular demand and making a return in 2019 to allow the nation to continue to collect the series for another year."
Royal Mint rarest coins from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign
Here is the list of rare collectable coins compiled by the Royal Mint. Included is information about the year of release, denomination, design features and whether or not the coin is still in circulation:
1985
- 1985, 50p, the coin featured a figure of Britannia, with a shield, with a mintage of 682,103, no.
1992-1993
- 50p, the coin celebrated the UK’s presidency of the Council of Ministers and the completion of the European single market. The design included a representation of a table with 12 stars, linked by a network of lines and the mintage was 109,000. The Mint said this was the lowest number of its 50ps issued into circulation, no.
2002
- 2002, £2, four £2 coins celebrating each home nation for the Commonwealth Games. Mintage figures for Scotland were 771,750, for Wales, 588,500, for Ireland, 485,500, and for England 650,500, yes.
2008
- 2008, £2, the coin marked the centenary of the Olympic Games, with mintage of 910,000, yes.
- 2008, £2, the coin marked the end of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, with a mintage of 918,000, yes.
- 2008, £1, the round pound coin featured the UK’s Royal Arms, with a mintage of 3,910,000, no.
2009
- 2009, 50p, the design features the Kew Gardens pagoda with a decorative leafy climber twining in and around the tower, 210,000, yes.
2010
- 2010-2011, £1, a series of round pound coins featuring official badges of capital cities in the UK. They had mintages of 935,000 for Edinburgh, 2,635,000 for London and 1,615,000 for Cardiff, no.
2011
- 2011, £2, the coin commemorated 400 years since the King James Bible was published, with a mintage of 975,000, yes.
- 2011, 50p, a series of coins celebrating the London 2012 Olympics. Mintages included 1,454,000 for tennis, 1,161,500 for judo and 1,129,500 for wrestling, yes.
2012
- 2012, £2, the coin celebrated the closing of the 2012 Olympics and had a mintage of 845,000, yes
2015
- 2015, £2, this coin paid tribute to the Royal Navy and its role during the First World War, and had a mintage of 650,000, yes.
- 2015, £2, it featured Britannia for the first time on a circulating £2 coin, with a mintage of 650,000, yes.
2018
- 2018 , 10p, the A to Z 10p collection celebrating Britain, each letter in this year had a mintage of 220,000, yes.
- 2018, 50p, a series of coins celebrated Beatrix Potter’s classic tales, with a mintage of 1,400,000 each for the Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny designs, yes.
2019
- 2019, 10p, a set of “A to Z” coins celebrating Britain. Letters Y, W and Z each had a mintage of 63,000, yes.
- 2019, 10p, also from the A to Z collection, the letter R had a mintage of 64,000, yes.
- 2019, 10p, all other letters in the A to Z collection had a mintage of 84,000, yes.