Rare 50p coin could be worth a lot more due to a minting error

TikTok user UKCoinHunt explained how to spot the mistake – which appears on a number of commemorative Sir Isaac Newton 50p pieces.

People are being urged to look out for rare 50p coins that could be worth a lot more due to a minting error.

The TikTok user UKCoinHunt explained how to spot the mistake, which appears on a number of commemorative Sir Isaac Newton 50p pieces, has been explaining how to spot the blunder.

Minted and issued in 2017, the coin's reverse design is based on elements of Proposition 11, in Book One of Newton's Principia Mathematica.

Even correctly-minted versions of the coin are relatively rare – only the Kew Gardens 50p was produced in fewer numbers.

But the coin could be worth even more if it has a minting error.

The coin is commonly available for around £10 on eBay.

In a video, UKCoinHunt said: "You lot need to look out for this error on Sir Isaac Newton which came out in 2017, there's an error that means it's obviously worth a lot more than just 50p.

"So if you have any Sir Isaac Newton 50p, you need to be inspecting them closely. It's a die clash error on the coin.

"So if we compare the two coins, you can see the difference. It's a die clash error on the 50p coin. So if we flip them over to show you the other side, you can see the error better, with the two parallel lines to the left of her neck.

"It's a bit hard to show on camera but it's the two edges of the coin, which has slightly damaged the surface of the coin, and it's created a small indentation.

"If you received any of these on special order in the past in bulk, it's possible that more than one could contain the die clash issue."

One TikTok user said in response: "I have two of them."

Another added: "Can't see nothing different."

A third wrote: "Have to check my few."

On the release of the coin eight years ago, the Royal Mint provided the historical context behind the coin: "When Sir Isaac Newton came to The Royal Mint, Britain's finances were approaching crisis. Up to one in ten circulating coins were believed to be forged. His vision of matchless quality led him to root out and prosecute notorious counterfeiters, improve assaying techniques (the way coin quality is checked) and refine weights and measures to standards never seen before.

"In 1699 Newton became Master of the Mint. After overseeing the new coinage for the accession of Queen Anne in 1702 he went on to supervise the process of bringing Scottish coinage into line with English coinage, following the Union of England and Scotland in 1707. Thanks to Newton's vision Royal Mint coins remain unrivalled in their accuracy and purity to this day. This 50p coin is struck to Brilliant Uncirculated standard. It marks the 375th anniversary of Newton's birth."