Brits urged to check their spare change as valuable 25p coin could make them £1.7k richer

An innocuous-looking coin might seem like your average 20p piece, but coin collectors would tell you there's more than meets the eye

Brits are being urged to check their spare change as they could be sitting on a small fortune.

An innocuous-looking coin might seem like your average 20p piece, but coin collectors would tell you there's more than meets the eye.

A valuable 25 pence coin created during an experimental phase in 1981 could make its owner up to £1,700 richer, as highlighted by The Coin Collector UK who revealed the details on TikTok.

This unique coin is believed to have been a test piece by Royal Mint craftspeople considering the denomination choices before the iconic 20p entered our pockets in 1982.

The Coin Collector explained: "£1,700 pounds for this trial 25 pence coin. Yes, you heard correctly, this is a 25 pence trial piece. The Royal Mint almost opted for a 25 pence before changing last minute and going with the well-recognized, 20 pence, identical in design to this trial coin.

"This rare specimen recently sold at auction for over three times its estimate.

"Experts believed that it would fetch anywhere from £500 to £700 but it ended up going for the huge sum of £1,700 pounds."

Not many of these coins made it into the wild, Lancs Live reports.

The Coin Collector continued: "There are thought to be no more than 50 of these in circulation and even fewer in nickel brass like this one, which was found by a man in Wiltshire who was lucky enough to find it in his change.

"Trial pieces like this are also often referred to as pattern coins. These are prototype coins, which often never make it into circulation."

He explained that the rarity of the coin is what gives it its value.

"It's this rarity factor that gives them such a high price on the collector's market.

"So get checking your 20 pence coins."

If you're wondering what else to look out for in your spare change then we've got you covered.

From the rarest 50p coin to the most valuable £2 coin, there are plenty of common coins that could be worth a small fortune.

And if you're looking for more ways to make some extra cash then check out our tips on how to sell your unwanted clothes for a profit.

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