A minting error has made an old 2p worth more than £1,000 so it might be time to check your old change and see if you could be sitting on a gold mine
If you’ve ever tossed your spare change into a jar and forgotten about it, think again – you could be sitting on a small fortune! According to TikTok user @uk.coin.hunt, there’s one particular 2p coin in circulation that could be worth up to £1,000. And, believe it or not, it’s the 1983 “New Pence” 2p. You might be thinking, “How on earth can a 2p coin be worth so much?” Well, it all comes down to a rare minting mistake that makes this coin highly sought after by collectors.
According to the Britannia Coin Company, in 1983, the Royal Mint made a major change to its coins. The wording on the 2p coin switched from “New Pence” to “Two Pence” – but a tiny number of 2p coins got through with the old “New Pence” design, despite the change being official since 1982. If you’ve got one of these coins, you’re holding on to a very rare “mule” coin – a collector’s dream.
Now, you might be wondering what a “mule” coin is. Essentially, it’s a coin that’s been struck with mismatched dies – in this case, the “New Pence” obverse (the front face) and the modern reverse (tails side). These minting errors don’t happen often, and are usually corrected promptly, but this one slipped through the cracks, and it’s worth a small fortune now.
So, what’s the deal with the £1,000 price tag? Well, depending on the coin’s condition, some of these 1983 “New Pence” 2p coins are fetching eye-watering prices online – especially if they’ve been kept in pristine condition. In fact, this rare error coin is now one of the most valuable modern British coins around, with some collectors ready to pay big money for it. Interestingly, these 1983 coins were included in limited-edition sets from brands like Martini and Heinz. Both companies produced coin collections as part of a promotional campaign, and only a few of these sets contained the error coin. So, if you have one of these sets tucked away, it’s worth checking – you could have a goldmine in your hands!
But finding the 1983 “New Pence” 2p isn’t easy. Most of these coins were issued with the correct “Two Pence” design, and the error ones are incredibly rare. But if you are feeling lucky and you’ve got a stash of old coins, it’s definitely worth taking a second look. And it’s not just this 2p coin that’s fetching big prices. Other rare coins, like the undated 20p from 2008 and the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, have become just as valuable. So, before you dismiss that loose change in your pocket, consider it could be worth far more than you think.
Currently listed on the Britannia Coin Company website you can buy the 1983 New Pence 2p for an eye-watering £1250.
