2026-04-09 12:02:47

A humble 5p coin has sold for a whopping 100 times its face value – thanks to a tiny minting mistake.

The 2012 coin, featuring Queen Elizabeth – who died in September 2022 aged 96 from “old age” – on the front and the Royal Shield on the reverse, was snapped up on eBay for £5, plus £1 postage.

Its surprising price tag was down to a small defect – an unusual blob of metal on the shield design.

The seller believes the flaw was caused during production.

The listing read: “A Circulated, British, 2012, Elizabeth II, Minting Error, 5p Coin.

“The error is a small globule of metal on the reverse which I believe is the result of a cracked die being used.

“The coin is in circulated condition, as can be seen from the photographs.”

Despite being an everyday coin, the quirky imperfection appears to have made it highly desirable to collectors.

The Royal Shield design, created by Matthew Dent, was introduced in 2008 and appears across multiple UK coins from 1p to 50p.

When arranged together, the designs form the complete Royal Arms – but it is rare errors like this that can really boost value.

While most 5p coins won’t buy you much more than a sweet, this one proves that a tiny mistake can turn loose change into a collector’s prize.

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