Not Kew Gardens 50p – rarest coin is ‘rising in value’ and worth £1k | Personal Finance | Finance

You could be sitting on a small fortune if you stumble across this rare coin lurking in your collection. Whether it’s the “rarest coin in UK history” or the 50p coin which is “skyrocketing in value”.

Rare coins are frequently a hot topic of conversation, with a select number of designs commanding significantly more than their face value. Collectors are continually encouraged to scrutinise their change for any hidden treasures – and this latest discovery is no exception.

This two penny coin holds enormous appeal for collectors, and its remarkable worth is entirely down to a historic blunder in UK coin production.

TikTok user @CoinCollectingWizard, who boasts nearly 270,000 followers, shared a clip in which he cleaned a coin valued at £1,000 – before breaking down the distinction between the two pieces.

He said: “Did you know about the New Pence 2p coin worth £1,000? Don’t worry though this one is 1971 and not the rare date.

“Want to know what rare New Pence coins to look out for, keep watching. After the design changed from New Pence to Two Pence in 1982, a mistake was made during production of a small number of 1983 coins.”

In the clip, he revealed these coins were mistakenly struck bearing the old inscription New Pence, making the 1983 version the most sought-after of all.

The user continued: “If it says New Pence on the reverse instead of the words Two Pence then you have found it.

“If you are lucking enough to find a 1983 New Pence 2p in your change, then it is worth around £1,000. You are more likely to find the coin in the 1983 Royal Mint set though as this is where the mistake happened.”

Previously, these coins have been discovered by collectors and at one stage were valued at approximately £400. However, nowadays, they could fetch an even greater sum, according to the collector.

Since being posted on TikTok, it has attracted hundreds of likes and comments. One remarked: “I have it,” while another TikTok user observed: “Worst thing to do on a coin.” And someone else concurred: “Never clean coins.”

How to spot an error coin in your pocket:

Any 2p coins produced between 1971-1981 bear the inscription ‘NEW PENCE’, while those from 1982 onwards display ‘TWO PENCE’.

Most “New Pence” coins are extremely common and worth only their face value. However, the sole exception is the exceptionally rare 1983 ‘New Pence’ error coin.

It’s scarce because the Royal Mint mistakenly struck a limited number of 1983 coins using the outdated “New Pence” die rather than the revised “Two Pence” die. These were chiefly included in special commemorative sets, such as the Martini-Rossi or Heinz sets.

Should you discover these coins, they can be valued at hundreds or thousands of pounds at auction. To verify, ensure you examine the tails side of the coin.

If it displays “NEW PENCE” with the date at the bottom reading 1983, it could hold significant value. However, if the date falls anywhere between 1971 and 1981, it is simply a standard coin worth its face value of 2p.