IT’S always worth checking your loose change for rare coins in case a windfall is lurking in your wallet.
Coins can sell for many times their face value and one special edition 10p has recently been picked up for 100 times its face value.
The coin is part of the valuable A to Z collection.
The commemorative coins were created by the Royal Mint in 2018 and re-released in 2019.
The 26-piece set includes one coin for each letter of the alphabet, exploring a number of themes, from cricket to James Bond.
Up to 304,000 of each A-Z 10p design is in circulation, making them some of the most sought-after coins out there.
And many collectors are desperate to get hold of the whole set and complete the alphabet.
Recently a 2018 letter A coin, showing Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North statue, sold on eBay for £10, 100 times its face value.
The circulated coin was described by the seller as a “must-have for any collector or enthusiast”.
While the mark-up was impressive, there are also uncirculated coins out there, which are often in mint condition and often sell for more than their circulated counterparts.
An expert has also previously told The Sun that a 2019 A coin could be worth even more, as less were minted than the 2018 coins.
TikTok user UKCoinHunt said: ” The 2019 A is the rarest, well not the rarest, but the most expensive at around £20 just for a 10p coin, which is mental.
“Obviously these are what you want to look for in your change. They are very very hard to come across.
“But you never know you might get one. But just keep hold of it.”
Remember though, a coin is really only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
That means the prices we’ve found might not be what you get for them.
Either way, they give you an indication of how much people have sold them for in recent months.
Other A-Z coins have also sold for many times their face value in the past.
The Z coin shows an image of a zebra crossing, celebrating James Callaghan’s iconic black and white design.
A circulated Z for Zebra 10p coin has this year sold on eBay for £8.88, although it has reached up to £37 in the past.
The W coin celebrates Tim Berners-Lee’s invention of the internet or World Wide Web and features a spiderweb design.
One of these coins reached £12.99 on eBay in March.
Meanwhile the T 10p coin features a boiled traditional tea pot.
The coins are not as rare as others in the collection so won’t fetch as much online, but last year one was sold on eBay for £7.70 after attracting 16 bids.
In most cases, a coin is valuable if a low amount were put into circulation – known as its mintage figure.
Generally, the lower a coin’s mintage figure, the more you will be able to sell it for in an auction, on eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
But this isn’t always the case and some coins have been known to sell for more than others despite more having been put into circulation.
Remember too, that a rare coin is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it on the day.
Change Checker looks at how many collectors have acquired the coin, showing how easy it is to find.
Experts also track how many times the design has been requested as a swap during the previous three months, showing them collector demand.
While the index doesn’t necessarily correspond to value, it is an effective indicator.
One in every four old £1 are thought to be fake according to The Royal Mint, meaning there could be a fake in your spare change.
The Royal Mint can’t value the coin but can confirm that it’s genuine. They’ll supply you with a letter to confirm this.
Once you know if it’s real you’ll be able to sell it through a coin dealer, a specialist such as Change Checker, auction or eBay.
You can look at eBay’s recent sold prices to get an indicator of how much your coin usually goes for on the site.
Search the full name of the coin, select the “sold” listing and then toggle the search to “highest value”.
You’ll then have an idea of the amount of money that the coin is being sold for.
When it comes to selling a rare coin, you have three main options – eBay, Facebook Marketplace or auction.
If you’re selling through Facebook, be wary of the risks.
Fraudsters have contacted sellers in the past saying they want to buy a rare coin and ask for money upfront for a courier to collect it.
But the items are never picked up, leaving sellers out of pocket.
Bear in mind the safest way to sell a rare coin will more than likely be through auction.
To stop this happening, it’s worth meeting the buyer in person and in a public meeting spot that’s well-lit.
We’ve updated our list of the rarest and most valuable 50p pieces in circulation and it includes a list of coins worth up to £895.
Meanwhile, keep up to date with all the rare coins and valuable notes news from The Sun.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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