Coin collectors are buzzing with excitement as a rare 25p piece, often mistaken for a 20p coin, is capturing attention.
In recent months, TikTok user @CoinCollectingWizard has been fuelling the frenzy, recently revealing five scarce coins that could turn you into a fortune hunter overnight.
Now, if you’re still not rummaging through your change, you should as a 25p coin with a shield on one side and the Sovereign’s Orb on the other is stirring up quite the conversation. It’s shaped just like a 20p, so it’s easy to overlook.
The Royal Mint produced the curious coin, but at the time, there was indecision over whether it should be valued at 20p or 25p, earning it the nickname “trial piece” or “pattern coin”.
Words like “Experimental coin” and “Royal Mint trial” emblazoned on its surface hint at its unique purpose a 1981 prototype shown to officials,
With possibly no more than 50 of these 25p trial pieces in existence, they are exceedingly rare. Yet, it’s always worth keeping an eye out for one.
One such coin is about to hit the market and could command a price tag of £500 to £700. RWB Auctions in Wiltshire will host the online sale on September 25.
This particular coin was unearthed in a pile of loose change years ago but has since been safely stowed away in a jewellery box by its owner.
A spokesperson from RWB Auctions said: “This is a fascinating piece not just for the rarity but as a glimpse of what our currency could have been.
“20p coins are a fixture in our change now, but the Royal Mint seems to have experimented with various ideas before they settled on the seven-sided coin we all recognise.”
