1 week Ago By [email protected] (Fiona Callingham)
An expert has advised the public to keep an eye out for two specific £2 coins in circulation, which could potentially be worth a significant amount more than their face value. If these coins have certain errors, they could collectively fetch over £1,000. In a video shared on TikTok, a user known as the Coin Collecting Wizard detailed what to look out for.
"It's all about those rare £2 coins you can find in your change," he explained. The first coin he highlighted was minted in 2014 and bears the image of Lord Kitchener, commemorating 100 years since the beginning of the First World War. However, it's the obverse side, or the head side, that needs to be checked for a particular error that makes it exceptionally rare.
The expert stated: "This is the Lord Kitchener £2 coin released in 2014 to mark the centenary of World War One. "But there's a rare error version that collectors are going crazy for," he said. "Normally every £2 coin should have the words 'two pounds' on the obverse side, underneath the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
But some Lord Kitchener coins were accidentally struck without these words. This mistake makes it super rare and collectors are willing to pay big money for it." Around 5,720,000 of the Lord Kitchener £2 coins were produced by The Royal Mint, with only a handful featuring this error.
He added: "These error coins have been spotted selling for anywhere between £900 and £1,000 pounds, and in some cases, even more at auction." In February 2024, a rare error version of a £2 coin fetched an impressive £1,000 at auction when it was snapped up by an American collector. The expert highlighted another valuable £2 coin to keep an eye out for, this one minted in 2016.
He pointed out the Shakespeare skull £2 coin as one to watch, particularly if it bears a minting mistake along its edge that could significantly increase its value. The coin is supposed to be inscribed with "what a piece of work is a man", a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet. However, a few of these coins mistakenly bear the inscription "for king and country", which was intended only for certain First World War commemorative coins.
He explained: "Or you could come across this Shakespeare skull £2 coin from 2016 that also has a rare error. "Some have the wrong edge inscription that says 'for king and country' instead of 'what a piece of work is a man'." He added, "A very cool error to find and some easy money".
In the past, such coins have been known to sell for upwards of £200, but at the time of writing, listings on eBay were showing prices exceeding £500..
