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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,654 |
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New Member
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
I got this 5p as a kid and kept it, completely forgot about it until I was doing some cleaning this week and came across it. It looks like quite a severe error but is it particularly rare or valuable?   |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
24885 Posts |
 To the Forum. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17911 Posts |
Looks like a striking error to me - the blank seems ro have slipped between the dies and been struck twice. Is the edge milled, plain or partly milled? |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
Nice curio and almost certainly a mint error. As to your questions: 1. Yes it is quite rare to find serious error coins that have made it out of the mint, and each is unique in it's own way. 2. What is it worth? There is no "book" price for this sort of thing, so in the end it depends on what someone will pay for it. The best market for error coins seems to be in the US. If/when you decide to sell it, put it on ebay at auction and pay the extra to have US visibility. I would say at least £10, maybe £30 or £40 - and maybe much more if someone takes a real liking to it. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
709 Posts |
Welcome to the forum. That is a superb error coin. The details are clear and it is a real mint error. Why not keep it as a centre piece for a collection of UK errors? I would be delighted with one like yours. If you decide to check up error coin prices on ebay for UK decimal coins, be aware that most of the "errors" advertised are really junk, which yours isn't. So-called error coins on ebay seem to me to fall into three categories - real, imagined, manufactured. Real - genuine errors created at the mint. When I search ebay for these, they are drowned out by the others. My last search produced less than 5% among the first 200 offers. Imagined - things people claim as errors which are not, eg writing supposedly upside down on edges of £2 coins Manufactured - fraudulent errors made after the coin has left the mint, designed to line the pocket of the scammer. Two classic examples : 1. Queen's head on wrong side. Impossible. In reality somebody has just popped out the middle and turned it round. 2. vise job. Sandwich a coin between two others the same and squash it in a vice. At first glance it looks like a double strike. I'd go along with PaddyB on possible value. But with luck you could get a fair bit more. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
694 Posts |
I once typed in rare mint errors in ebay listings and returned 48,000 hits. Most of the errors listed were not errors just idiots selling coins after reading News articles by |Journalists who have as much intelligence as a toilet brush. The normal Pemember £2 coins which was never an error to start with. Upside down edge legend also not an error. And the latest craze the extremely rare 1971 1p or 2p take your pick. Considering over 1 .5 billion were struck kind of sinks that particular boat. With the occasional £800 rare 50p thrown in that actually makes the pages of the MSM with no actual reason for it other than the seller was a complete fruit cake. After the first 30 pages I gave up looking  |
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New Member
 United Kingdom
4 Posts |
@NumisBob
The edge is plain with no signs of milling at all.
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New Member
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
Thanks for the advice @Paddy and @Anaximander I did look for other similar examples on ebay but I noticed that most of the error coins on there seem to be barely noticeable in regards to the errors. I think I will probably sell it though, it's been sitting forgotten about in a tub of random coins for years and I'd rather sell it to someone who would appreciate it more. |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
190 Posts |
I think you could be pleasently surprised and I would put in a proper coin auction and not ebay.This will confirm the error and generate more interest than people just looking on ebay for a week or so. It would not surprise me with a reserve of £80 for it to sell and probably more ,you only need two people to want it and unlikely they will find another. Its a major error and collectable ,just a pity it isn't pre decimal |
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New Member
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
I found that there's a place near me called Chards, who seem to specialise in coins. So I think I'll check with them and then take it from there. I don't want to leave it lying about for another few decades if there are people who would love to have it in their collection.
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17911 Posts |
Interesting that the edge is plain. Everyone agrees this is quite a spectacular error. Chards have a good reputation and I've bought quite a few coins from them in the past.
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Moderator
 United States
188046 Posts |
to the Community! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
717 Posts |
Looks impressive! |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
694 Posts |
One thing I will say . It's ok to go to a dealer to authenticate a coin but don't think about selling to them. They are a business and will offer you a ridiculously low-ball price for it. I agree with PWA If I were to sell it I would put a £80 reserve and go from there. but I have seen these errors go for £200+ . Extremely rare coins and have an avid fan base.
Edited by zookeeperz
05/20/2019 06:19 am
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,654 |
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Posted 05/18/2019 03:21 am
