Two versions of these coins were minted with what is now the incorrect date for Brexit
The Brexit 50p coin was struck to mark the planned exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union(Image: Getty)
A rare 50p coin, known as the “Brexit” coin, could be worth £40,000, according to an expert. However, only coins featuring one of two specific dates are highly valuable.
Minted to commemorate the UK’s departure from the EU on January 31, 2020, a limited number of these coins were produced with incorrect dates, originally intended for Brexit in the previous year. As a result, collectors are on the lookout for coins dated March 29, 2019, or October 31, 2019.
An expert known as the Coin Collecting Wizard, shared his knowledge on TikTok, explaining: “So let’s start from the beginning. This coin is the Brexit 50p from 2020 and as you can see it clearly has the Brexit date at the bottom of the coin. But did you know there is another date out there on this 50 pence and only a few have ever been found?
Only versions of this 50p from the year 2019 are considered especially valuable(Image: Getty)
“If you find the Brexit 50p coin in your change, which is most likely as millions were minted for circulation, then all you need to do is check the date at the bottom of the coin. If your date says 31st January 2020, then this is just the regular common version worth 50 pence, but if you are super lucky and find one with a date other than 2020, such as this one from October 2019, then you have just found a super rare error coin.”
He added: “And yes it has been known to sell for £40,000. Just be sure you know what you are looking for any date other than 2020 and you have hit the jackpot.”
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The coin’s reverse, often referred to as the tail side, is distinguished by the inscription “peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations”, while the obverse side, or head side, bears the face of Queen Elizabeth II.
It is believed that about 1,000 of the Brexit coins dated March were originally minted. However, the majority of these were melted down following their production.
In contrast, around one million of the October dated coins were struck. Despite the larger number minted, a significant portion of the October issue coins were also melted down after Brexit faced yet another postponement, but there have since been two confirmed discoveries of this rare coin.
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Experts at The Westminster Collection experts commented: “While the 31st January 2020 Brexit 50p is an important historical coin, its mintage of over 10 million means it is not particularly rare. In contrast, the 31st October 2019 Brexit 50ps are some of the rarest modern UK coins, with just two known examples in existence-and an estimated value of over £40,000 each, according to numismatic specialists at Spink and Son auction house.”
They further remarked: “With only two known examples of the ultra-rare 31st October 2019 Brexit 50p discovered so far, it raises the thrilling possibility that more could be waiting to be found. Collectors are being urged to check their change – you might just strike gold!”.