New 20p Coins, could be worth £50

I saw today. A mix-up at the Royal Mint means a series of new-style 20p coins have been printed without a date, making them worth as much as £50.

"We believe this extremely rare error will certainly get the public looking at the coins in their pockets again and noticing the excellent new designs launched by the Royal Mint on our coinage," said Nick Hart, from the London Mint Office.

"Mistakes like this not only fascinate people but also have considerable value-increase significance."

What to look for
The special coins will have the new design on the back, but the old design on the front.

This means there will be no year on them anywhere. If you have one of the newly-designed 20p coins, check the front side with the Queen's head on it: if there is no date there, you might have found a coin worth £50.

How did this happen?
Last year the Royal Mint re-designed seven of the UK's coins. In most cases all that was needed was a new design for the back, but in the case of the 20p piece a new design was needed for the front as well.

That is because, traditionally, the date on 20ps was placed on the back of the coin, whereas with the new design it had to fit on the front with the Queen's head.

Someone at the Royal Mint forgot to make this change and a series of coins were struck with the old head (without a date) and the new tail (also without a date).

See all the new coin designs

How to cash in
And what should you do if you find one of these special 20ps in your pocket, wallet purse or change jar?

A service has been set up to buy them from you. The London Mint Office, a private company not connected to the Royal Mint, is offering £50 to anyone who has one of the 'faulty' 20p coins. You must register online to be eligible: http://www.undated20p.com/

Source: MSN News