Rare 25p coin found in man's pocket sells for £1,700 at auction

Coin experts call experimental coins like this a ‘trial piece’ and at the time it was made, authorities had not yet decided if it would be worth 20p or 25p.

A lucky man has found a rare 25p coin in his pocket which sold at auction for a staggering £1,700 - £1,000 more than experts predicted.

The coin, which is easy to mistake for a regular 20p, was produced very briefly as a short-lived experiment by skilled craftsmen at the UK’s Royal Mint before the denomination was officially released into circulation in 1982.

It is thought to be one of only 50 that were made and went under the hammer at RWB Auctions in Wiltshire.

The man who found the rare coins is not a coin collector and had just been given it in some change.

Unaware of its value, he left it in a drawer for several years.

Coin experts call experimental coins like this a ‘trial piece’ and at the time it was made, authorities had not yet decided if it would be worth 20p or 25p.

The 25p coin is easy to mistake for a regular 20p coin (Image: RWB Auctions)

The coin features a shield and a Sovereign's Orb with the word 'experimental coin'.

It was produced very briefly as a short-lived experiment. (Image: RWB Auctions)

The 25p coin sold for a whopping £1,700 at RWB Auctions (Image: RWB Auctions)

The 25p coin went under the hammer at RWB Auctions in Wiltshire (Image: RWB Auctions)

The 25p coin is now worth hundreds of pounds (Image: RWB Auctions)

“We’re thrilled that this rare coin fetched such a high price,” said Jon White, founder of RWB Auctions.

“It shows how vibrant the coin-collecting market is and how sought after such an experimental coin can be.

“Keep an eye on your change as a coin like this can easily be mistaken for a ‘normal’ 20p coin.”