An expert has shared the five British coins that could be worth a small fortune – and they could be hiding in your loose change at home
A rare-coin specialist has named five vintage British coins that could prove very lucrative. These specimens are worth way above their face value, thanks to the date of their minting and the quantities in which they were produced.
The expert, known as the Coin Collecting Wizard, detailed precisely what to hunt for in a clip shared on TikTok. These encompass coins that ceased being legal tender decades ago, including a florin – or two-shilling piece – and a thruppence, or three pence, reports Devon Live.
The Coin Collecting Wizard declared: “Ye old English coins that will make you rich today.”
He initially suggested people search for a brass thruppence from 1949, explaining: “The 1949 brass thruppence has a very low mintage of just 464,000.” Coins with limited production runs are frequently highly sought-after since few examples exist.
“One of these recently sold for just under £500 in fine condition,” he revealed. Subsequently, he urged viewers to seek out a 1924 florin.
This silver coin, also known as a two-shilling coin, was introduced in 1849 as a step toward decimalisation. It was was worth a tenth of a pound, or 24 pence, and remained in circulation until 1967, although a collector’s issue was minted in 1970.
Florins were removed from circulation in the UK in 1993. The ‘wizard’ added: “This coin has a value of £65 in fine condition and over £145 in uncirculated condition.”
The 1925 fluorine was next with another low mintage of just over a million. The narrator continued: “This coin sells for around £40 in good condition and over £500 in uncirculated condition.”
Even more precious is a penny coin from 1869. The coin collector stated: “No one knows how many of this old penny were minted from 1869 and can have a value of up to £5000 pounds in good condition.”
Finally, there’s one that probably won’t be sitting in your piggy bank – a 1905 half crown. He said: “The 1905 half crown is one of the rarest half crowns to ever be minted at just over 166,000. This can fetch anywhere between £450 and £10,000.”
Tips for finding rare coins
You can find rare coins at specialised dealers, coin shows and fairs, auction houses, pawnshops, and antique stores. To find less expensive rare coins, search your own change, look for bargain bins at coin shops, or buy directly from the Mint.
You can also find them through online communities or by going to car boot sales and estate sales.
Do your Research: Familiarise yourself with different coin types, particularly those with low mintage, or coins known to be rare in circulation, such as the Kew Gardens 50p.
Check your change: Regularly inspect coins you receive in your change, as rare coins can sometimes be found at face value.
Be persistent: Finding rare coins often requires hard work and a bit of luck, so be patient and keep searching.