Look closely for rare UK penny coin featuring a small mark worth over £300

The valuable coin features a tiny initial on one side

An expert has urged people to look out for a rare UK penny that could be worth more than £300.

The coin in question must feature a “very small” initial on one side to make it particularly valuable.

Speaking on social media platform TikTok, a collector known as the Coin Collecting Wizard, explained what to look out for.

He revealed that a penny coin dated 1881 is worth looking for.

The expert, whose real name is Steve, said: “We have a much older penny - the 1881 H penny.” This coin features Queen Victoria on the obverse side (the head side).

On the reverse side (the tail side) is an image of Britannia as a woman holding a trident. But you need to ensure you check for a tiny “H” initial.

This can be found on the reverse side of the coin, below the date. The expert continued: “The H can be found just below the date of 1881.

“As you can see, the H mint mark, which stands for Heaton Mint, is very small so look closely.

“The obverse shows the young head of Queen Victoria, or also known as ‘bunhead’”.

Although millions of these coins were produced, they are now “very hard to find”.

He said: “Around three million coins were produced in 1881 at the Heaton Mint but because the coin is so old it is very hard to find today.

“You will also notice that coins in the 1800s have a slightly different design to the more recent pennies from the 1900s.”

The collector added: "If you are lucky enough to have this penny at an uncirculated version, easily sell for over £300.”

His advice is backed by experts at All Coin Values, which said this coin could fetch over £310 if in excellent condition.

They said: “The retail value of a 1881 Heaton mint British penny can range from £3 to over £310 depending on grade, condition, desirability, and demand.

“The 1881 United Kingdom penny reverse shows the helmed Britannia seated facing right, holding a trident, hand resting on a shield, with a lighthouse to the left, and ship to the right. The words 'ONE' and 'PENNY' are to the sides, with the date below.”

At the time of reporting, various 1881 H pennies are listed for sale on eBay for a range of prices including £296.59, £250, and £180.