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- The coin is missing the £2 denomination on the reverse, making it ‘ultra rare’
- It was estimated to cost between £600 and £800.
- Other error coins also beat estimates.
Worth it: A £2 Lord Kitchener coin minted in 2014 sold for £1,000 at auction
A rare Lord Kitchener £2 coin minted in 2014 sold for £1,000 at auction today.
It was estimated that the coin would sell for between £600 and £800.
It was purchased by an American bidder at RWB’s live auction this afternoon.
The coin is missing the words ‘Two Pounds’ on the reverse, an ultra-rare error which has been authenticated by the Royal Mint.
This £2 coin was issued in 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
It features a recruiting poster that reads “Your Country Needs You” with an image of Field Marshal Kitchener on the front.
There were 5,720,000 of these coins that entered circulation, meaning it could be quite easy to come across one in your change.
Without the error, the coin is not particularly meaningful.
However, a small unknown number of coins may have entered circulation without the “Two Pounds” denomination on the reverse, meaning more are being sought to be discovered.
According to Change Checker, there have only been two reports of these “error” coins being found in circulation.
Lockdales Auctioneers officiated the sale of one in March 2020 worth £500. So the amount these coins reach is growing by £1,000.
1990 20p error coin
A 1990 error 20p coin struck in a bronze 1p blank sold for £200 at the auction.
Comes with a signed letter from the Royal Mint Museum Information and Research Manager confirming the details of this rare error coin.
It says: ‘The piece is of incorrect composition for a twenty pence coin, it is underweight and has slightly rounded edges, indicating that the size of the blank is not suitable for the necklace in which it was struck.
“In this case, it appears that a blank bronze piece, probably intended for a 1p piece, has been struck between 20p dies.”
Errors: The 20p coin on the left was cast in a bronze blank probably intended for a 1p coin and the £1 coin on the right has two different years stamped on it.
2016 £1 error coin
A 2016 pound coin sold for £200. It was estimated to cost £80.
The coin has an error that presents two dates: 2016 on the obverse and 2017 microengraved on the reverse.
The small microtext around the edge, visible under magnification, shows “2017” instead of 2016 as would be expected. The error was confirmed by the Royal Mint in 2017.
Change Checker says there is currently no indication of how many of these error coins have been minted.
A legendary Kew Gardens 50p coin sold for £160
2009 Kew Gardens 50p coin
Also of note in the auction are three legendary 2009 Kew Gardens 50p coins up for grabs.
The Kew Gardens 50p is one of the most coveted coins, due to its scarcity in circulation and as a commemorative coin. It is ranked number one on Change Checker’s 50p Scarcity Index.
With only 210,000 minted in 2009, these coins can sell for over £150 and as such most have been removed from circulation and are in the hands of collectors.
The most interesting thing about the auction was a circulated version with an estimated price of between £80 and £120. It sold for £160.
Two others are uncirculated versions. One has a mintage of 10,000 and sold for £240 and the other has a mintage of 50,000, which sold for £220. Both come in a special presentation pack.
The coin features a design by Christopher Le Brun on the obverse celebrating the Royal Botanic Gardens, depicting the Kew Pagoda with a decorative vine entwined in and around the tower and with the years “1759” and 2002″ on either side of the word “Kew”.’.
This coin was first released in 2009 to celebrate 250 years of the iconic west London landmark.