Rare coins: The two designs you need to look out for if you want to make a small fortune

TIKTOK user @CoinCollectingWizard, who boasts 201,800 followers, recently shared the reason you should never clean your old coins

People are urged to check their pockets and stashes for rare coins that could be worth a small fortune.

From 50p pieces featuring unique errors to rare 2p coins, there's a whole range of designs to keep an eye out for.

And now, TikTok user @CoinCollectingWizard, who has 201,800 followers, has revealed the reason you should never clean your old coins - and it's all to do with the rarity factor.

In one viral video, someone is seen cleaning a 2p coin with "shocking" results.

He said: "You should never clean your coins and here is why... A 2p coin is usually in copper colour but instead this particular coin was accidentally minted on the same base as a 10p coin.

"The Royal Mint manufactures between 3-4million coins a day, so it's understandable that sometimes mistakes can happen.

"The penny is known as a mule or an error coin making them 'super rare' which makes it 'super valuable' to collectors as they're nearly one-of-a-kind.

"But if you think that is special, check out the next coin.

"The 1983 New Pence Two Pence is considered rare due to a specific transition in the design.

"In 1983, the Royal Mint began the process of changing the inscription on the coin, from New Pence to Two Pence. If you find this rare coin, you are looking at £1,000+."

The useful information was shared in a video recently, and it garnered nearly 200,000 views, 200 likes and numerous comments.

One person said: "Someone doesn't know. Don't clean old coins..."

While another admitted: "I have a lot of these coins."

And a third added: "I have plenty of them if you're interested."