How much is a 20p worth? If you replied “20p”, you’re not entirely correct.
Obviously your bog-standard 20 pence pieces are only worth their face value, but there are other, rarer versions that could sell for up to £1700 if you’re lucky enough to find one.
The 20p coins that are worth the most are “mule” ones, which have been minted with errors on them. It’s not just 20p coins issued by The Royal Mint that are popular either, those made in the Channel Islands and Gibraltar are also sought-after by currency enthusiasts.
As with any antique or collectors’ item, these rare coins are really only ever worth what people are willing to pay for them, but checking completed eBay auctions that have resulted in a verified sale can give you an idea of what you might get for your unusual coin.
Experts like Change Checker or The Royal Mint can help check if your change is worth what others are saying as well. Also, some coins end up being sold at “old school” in-person auctions, which is also a good way to gauge their exact value.
With that in mind, here are five of the rarest – and most valuable – 20p coins you might find.
The 20p that’s actually a 25p
It’s thought that only around 50 of these “trial” 25p coins, created in 1981, were ever released into circulation, making them incredibly rare. The coin is thought to have been made by Royal Mint craftsmen before the 20p denomination was put into circulation in 1982, Lancs Live reports. At the time, it was not decided whether the coin would be worth 20p or 25p.
Rare coin expert The Coin Collector UK took to TikTok to discuss how valuable the 25p coin is.
They explained: “£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 £1700.”
Rare 20p error coin with Royal Mint certificate
This 1990 20p was put on sale through Tennants Auctioneers in August 2023, and sold for £1400. It was accidentally struck on a copper-plated steel blank intended for one of the other countries The Royal Mint produces coins for, which Tennants described as “a spectacular error”.
Lucky seller Alun Barker picked up the coin on eBay in December 2017 for just £50. A few months later, in January 2018, it was confirmed as genuine by The Royal Mint, who provided it with a letter of accreditation.
The 20p coin with missing date
In 2008, around 250,000 coins were printed with an error that made than valuable to coin collectors. The error saw a key detail missed off the coins, which was the date. The Sun reports that one of these unique 20p coins fetched £137 when it was sold on eBay. In 2009, Birmingham Live reported on a lucky local mum who had found one of these 20p pieces in her son’s money box.
She said: “When I found the coin I phoned my friend to just double check what was what. I went on the internet as I’ve heard they’re going for a lot of money. I’m wondering do I hang on to it for 30 years or do something about it now?”
It’s believed to be the first undated British coin to enter mass circulation in more than 300 years. The last time it happened was way back in 1672, when Charles II was on the throne.
The 20p with blank side
A rare 20p sold for whopping £430 on eBay back in 2012, because one side was completely blank.
The Sun reported that the rare minting error was likely down to a separate “rogue” 20p coin blank being struck by the obverse and reverse dies, but struck a second time with the reverse die, giving it a smooth and featureless plain metal backside. So, if you find a half-blank 20p, you could be in for a decent payday.
The 20p made from a penny
If you end up with an unusual coloured 20p in your change, don’t just assume it’s dirty – it could have accidentally been made from a penny blank, making it worth a tidy sum.
This tarnished-looking 20p sold via an auction with Wiltshire-based RWB Auctions in February 2024 for £200, more than 1,000 times its face value, according to coin experts The Britannia Coin Company. Also another, similar, bronze 20p sold for £232 on eBay in September 2023.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: make sure you check your change for anything that looks a bit out of the ordinary. If you do, you could end up making a tidy profit like the people above.
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