Six years ago, the Royal Mint created one million special edition Brexit 50p coins. However, the coins never saw the light of day due to a manufacturing error and were instead approved to be melted down and destroyed.
In a surprising discovery though, two of these commemorative coins have survived and have the potential to be worth a small fortune.
It is not yet known if more managed to escape the Royal Mint’s hands, with coin collectors on the hunt to unearth what has been described as ‘Willy Wonka’s golden ticket’ by experts.
The coins, which also include the phrase ‘peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations’, could be worth tens of thousands of pounds.
They were originally commissioned by the Royal Mint following a campaign by the Telegraph newspaper as a form of commemorating Britain’s exit from the EU.
The Royal Mint, the nation’s official coin maker, regularly marks important national events with the creation of commemorative coins and has released 30 special 50p coins since 2000, not including 29 variants of a 2012 Olympic coin.
A spokesperson for the Royal Mint has stated that they have so far been unable to confirm the ‘validity’ of the coins.
Should they in fact be the real deal though, experts believe the Brexit coins could fetch in excess of £42,000 at auction.
Six years ago, the Royal Mint created one million special edition Brexit 50p coins
The one million coins created back in 2019 were all minted with the incorrect commemorative date
So, how do the non-coin experts amongst us spot the special Brexit coins? The answer is a simple one.
The one million coins created back in 2019 were all minted with the incorrect commemorative date.
Originally, Brexit had been due to be officially ratified at the end October 2019. However, on October 28, just days before it went ahead, it was revealed at the eleventh hour that the UK’s exit from the EU would be delayed by a number of months.
A new coin was instead commissioned and entered circulation with a stamped date of January 2020 when Brexit was ultimately followed through with.
Speaking to the Telegraph, coin researcher Gregory Edmund described the prospect of finding another incorrectly dated Brexit coin as a ‘Charlie Bucket moment discovering the numismatic ticket’.
Explaining just how a 50p coin could be so valuable, Mr Edmund said: ‘Given the extremely stringent security at the Royal Mint, to suddenly have two examples survive, and be available for study at the same time, is a unique opportunity’.
Mr Edmund has also now established a dedicated hotline through Spink & Son auction house for anyone who believes they have found one of the unique coins, which can be reached by emailing brexit50p@spink.com.
Prior to the discovery of the Brexit coins, one of the nation’s rarest commemorative 50ps were the version which depicted Kew’s Royal Botanical Gardens.
With over 200,000 in circulation, they can earn anywhere up to £300 online.
Five coins worth a pretty penny
£1 gold sovereign 1936 £1million
To commemorate the ascension to the throne of Edward VIII, only six of these 22-carat £1 gold coins were produced – before he abdicated in 1936. It is also unusual in that unlike other monarchs he faced left, as this was the profile that he insisted on showing.
One penny 1933 £80,000
There was a huge surplus of penny pieces so none were required in 1933 – though seven were minted for special events. Some of the coins are believed to have been placed under new church foundations.
2p coin marked ‘new pence’ 1983 £1,000
All 2p coins minted after decimalisation in 1971 were produced with a ‘new pence’ mark on the tail side until the end of 1981. After this date almost all were marked ‘two pence’ yet in 1983 a batch of 500 coins was accidentally issued marked ‘new pence’.
50p ‘silver proof’ Peter Rabbit 2016 £1,000
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter in 2016, a ‘silver proof’ coloured coin of this character was produced in a limited edition of 15,000. It is not to be confused with Peter Rabbit 50p coins put in circulation or a 2019 ‘silver proof’ reissue that can still be bought for £65.
50p ‘hidden face’ swimmer 2012 Olympics £800
A batch of 600 coins featuring a swimmer with wavy lines obscuring their face was accidentally issued to commemorate the 2012 London Olympics. It was later replaced with a coin where the face could be seen.
