If you've got any of these £2 coins then you're in the big bucks
Probably not enough to quit your job, but cash is cash
One of the greatest thrills in life is buying something for one price, then selling it for a higher one. It’s how the world goes round, yes, but when it’s a personal transaction, it’s all the more exciting. Like if you ever bought a packet of Pokémon cards when you were a kid but ended up with a rare one, and boyed it off on some sucker for a tidy dollar – it’s great fun.
Which is why selling coins for a higher denomination than they are legally worth is the best type. It’s got the literal price written on it, yet you’ve just sold it for 1,000 times that – what sort of mug would buy that off you? Well, it turns out that there are many of them, and they are called: coin collectors.
They like to spend lots of money on things like 50p pieces, and in today’s case, £2 coins. Ever since the £1 coin’s big brother was introduced way back in 1998 (a wondrous year that you’ll remember because Species II AND I Still Know What You Did Last Summer came out), the Royal Mint has introduced a scattering of limited edition, special coins, and it’s these ones that are worth the bunce.
Changechecker.org has compiled a ‘scarcity index’ that lists the most valuable and rare £2 coins. Check below to see if you have any:
You can match up the coins with their names here.
That Commonwealth Games special at number one there has gone for as much as £72 on eBay. That’s the Irish version, though; the England edition will get you £36, the Scotland one will fetch £27, and the Wales design will nab you £28.
Other special editions include the Shakespeare Tragedy (#8), which has gone for £16, as has the Great Fire Of London edition (#6). Other rare coins include the King James Bible double-quidder (#13), which has been known to go for £15 online.
So basically, next time you pick up a £2 coin that doesn’t look like the others – quickly run it by the index or search for it online to see if you’re in for a pretty penny. Or pound. Or numerous pounds. A handsome hundred, let’s call it.
