£1 Coins
Why the latest Royal Mint “error” is the hardest to find yet. Plus what it might be worth…
In 2017, following reports by Change Checker and in the national press that a die mix up at The Royal Mint resulted in a number of 12 sided £1 coins being struck with dual-dates, The Royal Mint officially confirmed the error.
However, this is one of the hardest errors ever to spot. That’s because even with 20/20 eyesight you will struggle to see the incorrect date on the coin’s reverse because it’s micro-engraved as part of the coin’s ultra-secure finish.
The error is so small, it cannot be seen with the naked eye.
What do I need to look for?
Firstly, although both 2016 and 2017 obverse-dated £1 coins entered circulation in April 2017, the die-error mix up appears to have only occurred on a limited number of coins with a 2016 date on the Queen’s head side.
So it’s worth checking any 2016 coins. You’ll need to look just inside the rim of the design-side of the coin, where you will see some tiny writing. You’ll almost certainly need a Microscope or Phonescope to properly see the writing, which should reveal the date.
You’re looking for a 2016 obverse-dated coin with 2017 micro-engraving on the reverse.
The Phonescope allows you to see tiny details on coins
What if I can’t read the micro-engraving?
With over 1.5 billion new £1 coins being struck not all coins are finished perfectly. Unfortunately, a poorly struck example where you cannot read the micro-engraving is not of great interest to collectors.
What about other £1 mis-strikes and errors?
We believe this is the only known £1 error. Due to the huge number of coins that have entered circulation, there are a number of interesting mis-strikes, which, although numismatically interesting, have relatively limited collectibility or value.
More worryingly, there are a number of altered £1 coins for sale, claiming to have misaligned heads or similar unusual errors. However, both these are likely to have transgressed the Coinage Act by tampering with the coin and are clear minting impossibilities. STEER WELL CLEAR is our advice. Similarly beware of photographs that purport to show a genuine Dual-dated £1 coin – you need to be confident you’re not simply looking at two different coins.
So what is the Dual-dated £1 Coin worth?
This remains the most difficult question but let’s take a look at the available information.
- How many were struck?
The Royal Mint has given no indication of how many Dual-dated £1 Coins ever went into circulation – and it’s quite likely they do not even know. We have not seen any examples amongst our stock. Equally, 1,500,000,000 2016 £1 coins were struck and rates of 1,800 coins per minute were achieved at the height of production.
The key number seems to be how many coins The Royal Mint strike before they replace a die. Given the nature of the “error” it seems likely that it was only corrected when the die was replaced. Understandably, the number of coins The Royal Mint strikes with each blank is not something the Mint chooses to share for commercial reasons.
- What are the comparables?
The key to any valuation is what comparable coins sell for. The most obvious comparable is the 2008 undated 20p, which was caused by a similar die mix up. That sells online for between £50 and £80.
Other interesting UK errors include “Silver” 2p coins, which have sold in recent years for as much as £1,400 but these are considerably rarer relying on a few old 10p blanks being left over when a blank barrel has been filled with new 2p blanks. Another 2 pence error, when some DATE 2p pieces were struck using the old decimalisation dies with the word “NEW” in front of “PENCE”, currently sells for around £60.
The 2015 Rare ‘Silver’ 2p
- So what is the new Dual-dated £1 Coin worth?
We understand that at least one example was sold for £2,500 to a buyer in Spain in 2017, which probably marks the likely ceiling for value.
Probably more Dual-dated £1 coins have been struck than the 2p coins. However, the error is particularly difficult to spot due to the size of the micro-engraving. It’s also worth noting that interest in £1 coins is still very high and, of course, because they are relatively new in circulation, the chances of finding an all-important good quality version is high.
Bearing all that in mind, our best value estimate for a Dual-dated £1 Coin in excellent condition is currently £300 – £500.
Finding the coin in your change
We’ve heard from two Change Checkers lucky enough to find a dual dated error, one in October 2018 and one in April 2019.
I’m sure that the challenge of finding a dual dated £1 coin has sparked many Change Checker’s interest in collecting coins and I’m sure will encourage more collectors out there to look more closely at their £1 coins.
Dual dated £1 error coin found by a lucky Change Checker
If you’ve come across an interesting coin in your change, be sure to get in touch with us. We’d love to hear about the rare coins you’ve found.
Help find the Dual-dated £1 Coin with the Change Checker Phonescope
The Phonescope works by clipping onto a mobile device, and magnifying the camera, allowing you to take incredible close-up photos and videos.
STOP: the five £1 coins you must NOT cash in!
*** 2020 UPDATE ***
Three years since the old round pound coins were demonetised and replaced by the 12 sided £1, it’s been revealed that 122 million of these old coins still have not been returned to The Royal Mint.
Roughly 1.58 billion have found their way back to the Mint, but in addition to this, there have been at least 1.5 billion counterfeit round pounds handed in.
The Royal Mint said these fakes “could not be readily distinguished from the genuine coin, which is why a new coin was introduced”.
But, of the 122 million genuine round pounds still in circulation, which ones should you be looking out for?
In 2017, the Round £1 coins were demonetised and replaced by the new 12 sided coins we see today. The public were encouraged to spend or return their coins to the banks, but did you know that not all of these coins made it back to The Royal Mint?
Whilst these old coins are no longer legal tender, they can still be returned to the bank and deposited into you account, however there’s a few coins you definitely shouldn’t be cashing in if you’re lucky enough to find one (tip: try looking down the back of the sofa, in coat pockets or old supermarket bags for those lost and forgotten coins!).
Here are the ones to look out for:
Scotland: Edinburgh City
The Edinburgh City £1 Coin
The Edinburgh City £1 coin was released in 2011 with a mintage of just 935,000, making it the lowest Round Pound by 680,000!
Taking this into account, there’s no real surprise that this coin sits top of our Scarcity Index with a perfect score of 100.
Such is the rarity, only 17% of Change Checker users list having this coin in their collection.
This coin currently sells for between £7-£12.
Wales: Cardiff City
The Cardiff City £1 Coin
Another of the capital cities series, the Cardiff City £1 coin is definitely one to keep.
Released in 2011, this coin has a mintage of just 1,615,000 and is in 2nd position in our Scarcity Index with a very high score of 88.
This coin depicts the circular Coat of Arms of Cardiff as the principal focus to represent Wales.
This coin is worth between £3-£5.
England: London City
The London City £1 Coin
The 3rd coin from the capital cities series that you should hold on to is the London City £1 coin. Interestingly, the Belfast City coin does not make our list.
Released in 2010, this coin has a mintage of 2,635,000, much higher than Edinburgh and Cardiff but low in comparison to other £1 coins.
London City scores an impressive 77/100 in our Scarcity Index.
This coin can sell for between £3-£6.
Scotland: Thistle and Bluebell
Scotland: Thistle and Bluebell £1 coin
The Thistle and Bluebell £1 coin was released in 2014 as part of the floral emblems series.
It has a mintage figure of 5,185,000 and scores a 55 on our Scarcity Index, coming in 4th place.
This coin features a thistle alongside a bluebell to represent Scotland.
This is worth between £2-£5.
UK: Crowned Shield
UK: Crowned Shield £1 coin
The UK Crowned Shield £1 coin was released way back in 1988, only 5 years after the Round £1 came into circulation.
Although it has a relatively low mintage figure of 7,118,825, this coin makes the list due to some interesting Change Checker App data.
It scores a 51 in our Scarcity Index but less than 1/4 of Change Checker users list having this coin in their collection and swap requests outnumber swap listings by 6 to 1!
This coin will sell for between £3-£7.50.
It’s worth noting that our valuations are based on coins that have recently sold on auction sites. The value of a coin depends on a number of factors including the coin’s condition.
Own the 2017 Round £1 Collecting Pack
Secure your exclusive £1 Collector Pack today which includes Britain’s last round pound as well as an original £1 Banknote. Click here to order yours >>
Or take a look at the old round £1 coins and complete your collection here >>
Round £1 Coin transition date sooner than expected!
The Royal Mint initially predicted that the number of new 12-sided £1 coins in circulation would overtake the Round £1 Coin by August this year.
12-sided £1 Coins will overtake the Round £1 Coin by July
However, due to the amount of coins that have already been returned, 8 million in total, the date has been revised to as soon as late July. Of the returned coins, most will be re-used to produce new 12-sided £1 coins, with the rest being disposed of.
This is important news for industries that deal in large quantities of £1 coins, such as vending and arcade machines, who’ll need to bring forward their machine conversation date.
Most importantly, for Change Checkers this means it is going to become increasingly challenging to complete The Great One Pound Coin Race. However, we know that you love a challenge and we’re here to help you get across the finishing line.
For all the best Round £1 Coin collecting hints and tips, take a look at our video:
For the brave ones amongst you, you can still sign up to The Great One Pound Coin Race, there’s still over 100 days to go!
Good Luck!