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<\/p>\nA RARE 20p error coin has sold for more than 1,000 times its face value after igniting a week long bidding war.<\/p>\n
The coin was minted back in 1983 onto a copper coloured blank by mistake, resulting in a very rare bronze 20p.<\/p>\n
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A lucky seller found the coin and was intrigued by its colouring so sent it off to The Royal Mint to have it authenticated in 2016. <\/p>\n
They then listed the 20p on eBay and managed to make a huge profit along with its letter of authentication for the Mint.<\/p>\n
The coin received a total of 28 bids from five buyers, upping the bid each day for over a week until finally it sold for a whopping \u00a3232.<\/p>\n
More valuable bronze 20ps have been discovered in recent years, being valued for as much as \u00a3750 in the past.<\/p>\n
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Kate Morgan, a coin expert\u00a0from Change Checker, previously told The Sun: "In 2017, a collector reported finding a 1987 20p coin which appeared to have a very different finish to the others you\u2019d usually find in your change."<\/p>\n
The collector had assumed that the coin had been plated,but decided to send it off to The Royal Mint to be absolutely sure.<\/p>\n
Kate added: "After examining the coin by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, The Royal Mint confirmed that the bronze 20p was the result of an extremely rare minting \u2018error\u2019.<\/p>\n
"It was ascertained that a bronze blank, which would usually be used for the production of 1p pieces, had been mistakenly used to strike this 20p."<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Since then, in 2018 another collector\u00a0found a 1990 coin\u00a0which he also had checked by The Mint and was found to have the same bronze base.<\/p>\n Some of us may have rare\u00a0coins\u00a0hidden in wallets or down sofas and they could be worth a bit of dosh.<\/p>\n Coins\u00a0with a minting error like this could be worth a small fortune because very few actually make it into circulation.<\/p>\n You can make money from these rare coins by selling them at\u00a0auction, either online or in person, or through a dealer.<\/p>\n The price of a coin varies based on things like demand at the time and how common it is.<\/p>\n It's important to remember that you aren't guaranteed to fetch huge amounts if you do choose to sell your change.<\/p>\n Anyone can list a coin on\u00a0eBay\u00a0and charge whatever amount they wish, but it's only ever worth what someone is willing to pay.<\/p>\n By checking the recently sold items you will get a more accurate indication of what people are willing to pay for a specific coin.<\/p>\n Once you've deciphered whether a coin is rare or not, you can sell it in a number of ways, including through\u00a0Facebook, eBay or in auction.<\/p>\n If you're selling through Facebook, be wary of the risks attached.<\/p>\n There have been instances where fraudsters have contacted sellers saying they want to buy a rare coin and ask for money upfront for a courier to collect it.<\/p>\n But the items were never picked up and sellers have been left out of pocket.<\/p>\n To avoid this happening it's always worth meeting a potential buyer in person when using Facebook Marketplace.<\/p>\n Of course, make sure it's in a public meeting spot that's well-lit.<\/p>\n If you're selling through eBay, you'll have to start by registering for an account – you just have to enter your email address and come up with a password.<\/p>\n Once you've done this you can list a product – but make sure you've got good pictures and detail the condition of the coin to avoid disappointing buyers.<\/p>\n In most cases, the safest way to sell a rare coin will more than likely be at auction.<\/p>\n You can organise doing this via The Royal Mint's Collectors Service, which has a team of experts who can authenticate and value a coin.<\/p>\n You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.<\/p>\n Do bear in mind you will be charged for the service though. How much depends on the size of your collection.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a rare error 50p coin has sold for more than 400 times its face value after garnering dozens of bids.<\/p>\n Plus, coin experts have revealed how you could make \u00a31,400 by spotting four exact dates and errors in rare 20ps in your spare change.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/NEW-OFF-PLATFORM-TEMPLATE-2023-09-06T115911.467-1.jpg\")
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