A 'rare' £1 coin has sold for 112 times its value because an eagle-eyed shopper spotted it was wonky in their change.
The 2017 coin, which features Queen Elizabeth II on the front and the Nations of the Crown design on the reverse, sold for £112.08.
It contains the rare 'fried egg error' - a type of minting error that affects bi-metallic coins including the UK £1 and £2s.
The error happens when the silver-coloured inner disk of the coin appears to leak out from the centre of the design, like the yolk of a runny egg.
The listing description describes the wonky coin as a 'rare collectible', with the error making its value skyrocket.
The listing reads: "Fried egg error one pound coin rare collectable.
"Found in my change a few years ago and have now decided to sell it as I am not a coin collector."
One keen bidder snapped up the coin for £112.08 plus £3.42 postage on Sunday [January 25].
That means the coin was sold for 112 times its shop value and will be sure to have Brits checking their change for the same error.
The £1 coin was first issued in April 1983 to replace the £1 note.
To make it easy to identify, the round £1 coin was thicker than other coins, while its 'yellow' colour allowed it to stand out from the cupro-nickel 'silver' coins already in circulation.
Since then, there have been several different variations of the coin.
In 2017, the familiar £1 round coin was replaced with an all new, 12-sided £1 coin.
What makes a coin valuable?
The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.
Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.
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The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.
Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.
The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value - while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.
Royal Mint top 10 most valuable 50p coins
Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:
- Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
- Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
- Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
- Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
- Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500
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