Rare 25p coin could be worth up to £1,700 - and you might have one in your pocket

The coin in question may appear to be an ordinary 20 pence piece at first glance, but according to one expert, it's much more than that

A rare 25 pence coin, which was minted as part of a trial in 1981, has sold at auction for over three times its estimate. It is believed that this coin was crafted by Royal Mint artisans prior to the introduction of the 20p denomination in 1982. At that time, it was undecided whether the coin would have a value of 20p or 25p.

The Coin Collector UK took to TikTok to shed light on the unusual coin, which may appear to be an ordinary 20 pence piece at first glance. However, according to one expert, it's much more than that.

According to the TikTok video, the coin is valued at an incredible £1,700. It was minted as part of a trial prior to the introduction of the 20p denomination in 1982 and was recently discovered in someone's loose change in Wiltshire.

It is believed that no more than 50 of these coins were released into circulation, making them incredibly rare and valuable to collectors.

The coin in question is a 25 pence trial piece, which was minted by the Royal Mint prior to the introduction of the 20p denomination in 1982. It is believed that this coin was crafted by Royal Mint artisans in 1981.

The Coin Collector stated: "£1,700 pounds for this trial 25 pence coin. Yes, you heard correctly, this is a 25 pence trial piece. The Royal Mint almost opted for a 25 pence before changing last minute and going with the well-recognized, 20 pence, identical in design to this trial coin."

"This rare specimen recently sold at auction for over three times its estimate. Experts believed that it would fetch anywhere from £500 to £700 but it ended up going for the huge sum of £1,700 pounds."

It is further explained that only a limited number of these coins were released into circulation.

"There are thought to be no more than 50 of these in circulation and even fewer in nickel brass like this one, which was found by a man in Wiltshire who was lucky enough to find it in his change," he said.

"Trial pieces like this are also often referred to as pattern coins. These are prototype coins, which often never make it into circulation."

"It's this rarity factor that gives them such a high price on the collector's market. So get checking your 20 pence coins."