BRITS have been urged to check their pocket change as experts revealed that three rare types of coin could be worth over £70,000.
Even the most humble coppers could see their value spike a hundred times over thanks to a bizarre mishap.
Every year the Royal Mint churns out more than 3 billion coins, most of which pass through the hands of the British public.
Among these are any number of special editions, including commemorative issues and other unusual coins worth much more than their face value.
Coin collecting is a popular hobby for many, but can also be extremely lucrative if you come across the right specimens.
Many of these are either exceptionally old or almost impossible to get your hands on.
But a select few might be more widespread than many might realise.
Chris Yang, co-founder of valuation site Coins Value, explained that there are a couple of coins still in circulation which could bag you big profit.
First among these is a run of two pence pieces released in 1983 – but with a bit of a twist.
A minting error meant that the reverse side of the coin read “New Pence” rather than “Two Pence”.
But the humble piece of copper could, Chris explained, be worth as much as £700 to the right buyer thanks to the mishap.
The second coin is even more recent, though, with a set of 50p pieces minted in 2009 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens.
They bear the former Queen’s head on one side and the Gardens’ famous Chinese pagoda surrounded by vines on the other.
Chris told The Mirror: “Only 210,000 coins were minted, making them one of the most sought-after 50p coins in circulation.”
If you do happen to find one, he recommended trying to sell it through eBay, where it could rake in around £200.
However, both of those coins’ values are dwarfed by that of the super-rare 1933 George V penny.
An entire set of these coins was actually buried beneath the foundations of new buildings throughout the ’30s after a massive surplus built up at the Mint.
As a result, they are vanishingly rare and extremely sought after by enthusiasts.
Indeed, Chris reckons they could command a price of up to £72,000 in the right auction.
