Expert urges Brits to check their 20p pieces as seemingly ordinary coin could be worth up to £80

At first glance, this coin might not catch your eye, but it harbours a simple minting error that has made it highly coveted by collectors throughout the UK

Keep an eye out for a specific 20 pence piece in your wallet or coin collection, as it could be worth up to £80 despite its ordinary appearance.

This coin, produced in 2008, features a minting error that makes it highly sought after by collectors across the UK. Some enthusiasts even refer to it as the "holy grail" of coins.

Only a quarter of a million of these coins were produced, making them quite rare. The Coin Collecting Wizard, a TikTok user who shares numismatic insights, highlighted this coin's value in a recent video.

"Your shield 20 pence coin could be worth £50," he said.

The absence of a date on this coin is what determines its value.

"It's all to do with a die mix-up at the Royal Mint, causing the coin to have no date," he explained.

"This issue impacted less than 250,000 coins out of the 136 million 20p pieces minted in 2008 and was a result of pairing the old obverse, or heads side, with the new reverse, or tails side design, which led to the omission of the year of issue," he said, according to the Mirror.

"Considered by many as one of the holy grails of UK change collecting, the undated 20p is always at the top of any coin collector's wish list," he added.

The Royal Mint has made history by releasing a coin into circulation without a date for the first time in over three centuries, sparking great interest among numismatists. This undated 20p piece has become highly desirable, with some sellers on eBay fetching £79.99 for the coin, while others have completed transactions at around £50.

"As you can see from these eBay sold prices, the undated 20p is an easy sell for around £50, so always make sure to check those 20p coins," he said.

The anomaly was addressed by the Royal Mint, which stated: "In November 2008 a number of 20p coins were incorrectly minted, resulting in the coins being undated. These coins remain legal tender and still have a face value of 20p."

At the time this report was filed, some listings on eBay had placed the value of these unique coins as high as £150 and £125.