YOU could be quids in if you’re able to spot a rare £2 coin in your spare change.
There’s a chance the small coins in your purse might be worth a big fortune.
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If you discover a sought-after coin, you can make money on it by selling them at auction, either online or in person, or through a dealer.
In one recent video, TikTok user uk.coin.hunt revealed the most valuable £2 coins in circulation – and they could be worth up to 130 times more than their face value.
Below, we outline the designs that you could be keeping an eye out for.
Queen Elizabeth II £2: Technology
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This error coin is all one colour – but £2 coins shouldn’t look like that as they are usually silver in the muddle and gold on the outside rim.
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This coin, however, is gold all-over.
The mistake means that bidders can be willing to fork out as much as £20, according to the Tiktokker.
But we have seen it sell for almost 130 times its face value on eBay in the past, fetching £235 after 28 bids.
But this isn’t the only error that can be found on these coins.
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A striking error on this coin cause a small number to be minted with the inner core slightly off from the centre and spilling into the outer ring.
There could also be a gap between the two metal rings on the join because of the mistake.
It is not known how many coins were minted with this error, but they’re likely to be pretty rate.
One of these error coins sold for £11.50 on eBay on August 21, with four bids placed.
While this might not sound like a significant amount of cash, it’s still more than five times its face value.
Commonwealth Games £2 coins
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The Commonwealth Games £2 coins were designed to commemorate one of the largest multi-sport events ever to be held in the UK back in 2002.
There are four different types of these coins and many collectors strive to build up the whole set as they wish to collect the England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales designs.
They are all pretty similar but in the centre of the design you’ll spot the flag for each country.
Often you’ll find them as a foursome they can collect a higher amount in bids,
Tiktokker UK.Coin.Hunt said: “Now you have got the four Commonwealths and together as a set they go for about £70.
“England is worth between £10 and £12, Wales about £14 or £15 pound, Scotland about £9 or £10 and Northern Ireland anywhere from like £30 to £35.”
When we checked eBay, we found that a Northern Ireland £2 that had sold for £31.50 on September 26 with ten bids.
While a set of the coins sold for £70 on the sale day with four bids.
1807 Abolition Of The Slave Trade £2
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This coin was minted in 2007 to make the 200th anniversary of the 1807 abolition of the slave trade.
The TikTok coin expert says that the coin usually sells for face value, unless you have on with the initials “DG” minted on it, then they can go for up to £20.
These initials stand for David Gentleman who designed the coin.
These piece of change are rare because they are commemorative coins that could only be bough from The Royal Mint.
This means that they never entered ordinary circulation.
But that being said, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for you to come across one in your change.
One of these coins sold for £6.70 on eBay on September 21.
Beijing Olympic Handover £2
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This £2 details Beijing in 2008 handing over the Olympics to London for 2012, and shows the Olympic flag and two hands shaking.
There are 918,000 of these in circulation.
Tiktokker UK.Coin.Hunt said they can sell for up to £5.
We found one of these coins that had sold for £7.16 on September 16 after receiving six bids.
Olympic centenary £2
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Carrying on the sporting theme, the Olympic centenary £2 marked 100 years of the modern games in 2008.
There are 910,000 in circulation so finding one isn’t such a tough ask.
Again, the TikTok expert says these coins generally sell for around £5.
But The Sun came across one of these coins that had sold for £20 after receiving 23 bids on September 24.
2011 Mary Rose and King James Bible £2 coins
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Both designs were released by the Royal Mint in 2011 in limited batches of 20,000 each.
They were made to mark the 500th anniversary of the Mary Rose and the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible.
UK.Coin.Hunt says this coins tend to fetch around £5 each online.
A Mary Rose £2 sold for £5.99 on eBay on September 26, while a King James Bible coin sold for £4 on September 23 with one bid.
London 2012 Handover
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At the end of each Olympic Games, the next host city of the Games is celebrated with a flag handover ceremony.
In 2012 we gave the flag to Rio to take on the next tournament.
That event was immortalised on the design of a £2 coin, with just 845,000 released into circulation.
You can expect to get around £6 for one of these coins, according to UK.Coin.Hunt.
This was true when we checked, as we came across a coin that sold for £6.50 on eBay on September 26.
London Underground £2 coins
There are more than 1.5 million of these London Underground themed coins in circulation.
There are two designs – one showing the famous roundel of the capital’s transport system and the other showing one of the trains.
They can both fetch up to £3, according to UK.Coin.Hunt.
We found that a pair of the coins together sold for £10.95 on September 21.
Magna Carta £2
The Magna Carta £2 coin commemorates the 800th anniversary of the signing of the royal charter.
UK.Coin.Hunt say it usually fetches up to £4, which was pretty consistent with what we found on eBay.
One coin sold for £3.50 with one bid on July 28, while another sold for £4.25 on July 20.
2015 First World War (Navy)
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There were also 650,000 of the First World War Navy £2 coins minted in 2015.
There are two different design variations of the 2015 Navy £2 coin that were released into circulation.
The original Navy £2 design show the coin without any markings on the top right of the mast, while the other appears to have a flag flying.
It is unknown how many of these error coins are in circulation.
The worth of these coins varies across eBay, with the average price it fetches being around £5, UK.Coin.Hunt said.
But we spotted one with the rare flag error that sold for £50 on September 24.
So if you bag yourself a 2015 Navy £2, take a special look at the flag, and you could be in for some cash.
2015 Britannia £2
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A small number of 2015 Britannia £2 coins were minted with the Queen’s head upside down.
They accidentally entered circulation and they could now be worth a small fortune.
The Queen’s head is offset by about 150 degrees compared to the Britannia design on the other side.
It’s thought that the error was caused by a loose die rotating during the striking process.
The coin has a mintage figure of just 650,000, making it one of the scarcest in circulation.
It’s estimated that as few as one in 200 – or approximately 3,250 – of them feature the inverted effigy, ChangeChecker previously told The Sun.
When The Sun checked eBay, we found two recent examples when they sold for £125.
Great Fire of London £2
The 2016 £2 coin issued by the Royal Mint marks the 350th anniversary of the Fire of London.
The reverse depicts the city of London burning in flames from a distance and was designed by Aaron West.
UK.Coin.Hunt said you can expect to get up to £4 for this coin on eBay.
We found one that sold for £3.20 on September 27 and another that sold for £4 on September 25.
How do I check if my coin is rare?
Rare coins and valuable notes can be worth tens of thousands of times their face value.
But sometimes it’s just tiny differences which make them so lucrative.
The most valuable coins tend to be ones with low mintage numbers or an error.
Those qualities typically make them valuable to collectors.
Your next step would be to check if your coin is still available to purchase in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality from an official Royal Mint distributor, according to Change Checker.
Certified Brilliant Uncirculated coins have been specially struck to a superior unblemished quality which set them apart from the coins you may find in pockets.
Selling a coin at auction or through a dealer
There are many different factors to consider when trying to value a coin, including its condition and mintage, so it’s important to do your homework first.
If you’ve got a coin that you would like to sell at auction, you can contact The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service.
It has a team of experts who can help you to authenticate and value your coin.
You’ll need to enquire via email, and a member of the valuation team will contact get back to you.
Take a picture of your coin and attach this to the email – you can find the details on The Royal Mint’s website.
Be aware that you will be charged for this service though – the cost will vary depending on the size of your collection.
If you are looking to buy a coin online through a marketplace such as eBay, it’s important to know exactly what you are purchasing.
This is because anyone can list a coin on eBay and charge whatever amount they wish.
You should also be wary of fakes online – and keep in mind that on eBay a buyer could pull out, which means the coin won’t have sold for the price it says it has.
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Meanwhile, we have put together a guide on the rarest and most valuable coins.
We also tell you what you should do if you find a lucky penny in your pocket.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
