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The humble 20 pence piece hit the big time this week when it was unexpectedly upgraded from the loose change box under the bed to the most studied and sought after coin in the realm.
Caption: Martha was ready to hit the shops with her 20p pocket money
It would appear that the Royal Mint has made a blunder by striking a batch of 20 pence coins minus the year of issue (2008). The exact number that slipped through the net is not certain – which is odd to say the least, unless of course this is a form of quantitative easing via the back door?
Estimates suggest around 100,000 coins were struck and bearing in mind the UK population is around 66 million, the chances of getting one are slim – but some lucky people are sure to be pleasantly surprised.
What do you do with a coin if you find one? You could of course offer it back to the Royal Mint, who is hoping a £50 enticement will suffice – or you could visit an auction site or specialist coin collecting market, or alternatively you could keep it, very safe and hope that the value increases over a number of years.
Bearing in mind the last time this sort of thing happened was 1672 and that it is unlikely to happen again for many years, if at all, one of these coins could become a wonderful little nest egg.
Which begs the question, what will the Royal Mint do with any it buys back? Will it destroy them, or will it be boxing them and reselling them to excited and numerous coin collectors worldwide
Richard Eagling is Editor of Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts