Six rare and valuable festive coins that could be worth up to £4,500

As Christmas approaches, it's time to check if a Christmas windfall is hidden amongst your change. The Royal Mint has minted festive coins for many years

As Christmas approaches, it's time to check if a festive windfall is hidden amongst your change.

The Royal Mint has minted festive coins for many years, featuring designs including beloved children's characters and classic scenes.

YouTuber and expert at The Britannia Coin Company, Christopher Collects, has highlighted some of the coins that are highly sought after.

The coins range from those that are almost a century old to contemporary releases, with one worth an amazing £4,500.

All the coins highlighted can fetch many times their face value, however, it is important to note that a coin is only worth how much the buyer is willing to pay for it.

Here are the coins Christopher advises looking out for:

The Snowman 50p coins

The Royal Mint has released coins celebrating the classic festive book and film The Snowman every year since 2018.

The coins do not enter circulation, but are made available for collectors to purchase and feature a new design every Christmas.

Since they began being minted, around 700,000 Snowman coins have been snapped up by collectors worldwide and continue to be a fan favourite.

Christopher said: "These Christmas coins are worth up to £20, depending on the design.”

This year the Royal Mint has released a 50p coin, showing the Snowman placing a star at the top of a Christmas tree in a snowy field.

The standard version is available for £12, which a coloured version is available for £25.

Isle of Man 2008 Snowman 50p

The Royal Mint also releases an annual Snowman-designed 50p coin, in the Isle of Man.

The coin feature the words Isle of Man around the image of the monarch.

Coin expert Christopher has said people should look out for the 2008 version of the coin.

He explained: “This Christmas coin features the Snowman and James, the little boy who is taken on an adventure.

"The other side features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the words ‘Isle of Man’ around the bust.

“We do not know exactly how many of these 2008 Isle Of Man Snowman coins were made, but they can sell for more than £500 when they appear on eBay and at auction.”

That £500 price tag is an astonishing 1,000 times the face value of the coin itself, so this is defiantly one to watch out for.

Gibraltar Christmas Mule 50p

An even more valuable find would be the Gibraltar Christmas mule 50p coin.

Christopher said: “A ‘mule coin’ is a type of error coin where two designs that don’t match have been paired together. In this case, the 1989 Christmas 50p ‘tails’ design of a little choirboy was paired with the ‘heads’ design from 1990.

“We only know of one example of this super rare Gibraltar error coin and we sold it for a huge £4,500 to a serious collector early this year.”

What are the most rare and valuable coins?

Wreath Crowns

Older coins that could make you a packet this Christmas include the so called 'wreath crowns'.

Christopher said: “People think of collectors coins as a modern invention but the Royal Mint have actually been making them for at least a century.

"A good example of this is so-called ‘Wreath Crowns’.

“These were large silver coins produced around Christmas each year as gifts for VIP clients of the Bank of England. They get their name from the distinctive wreath design on the tails side with a crown in the centre.

“These coins were made most years between 1927 and 1936 with only a few thousand minted each year.

"The rarest year is 1934, with only 932 made, and these coins sell for upwards of £2,000.”

Strike your own Christmas coins

Some of the more unusual coins to gain value as collectors' items include those struck by visitors to the Royal Mint Experience in Llantrisant, Wales.

Visitors are given the chance to use the minting equipment to strike their own coins for £7.50.

Only one coin can be minted per person and the designs offered to visitors change, with some having become collectors items.

Christopher explained: “While these coins are intended as souvenirs, they are actually sought after by collectors, with some Christmas designs proving particularly sought-after.

“Two to watch out for are the 2018 Nutcracker strike your own £5 coin, which came in a little pouch, and the 2019 Snowman strike your own 50p, which came in a small card folder.