Ultra-rare 50p coin with wrong Brexit date discovered—could you have one?

02 February 2025 , 18:39

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Ultra-rare 50p coin with wrong Brexit date discovered—could you have one?

The loose change in your coat or down the back of your sofa could be worth tens of thousands of pounds – if you happen to have this rare 50p coin.

It is a commemorative coin launched to mark the day of the UK’s exit from the European Union – but not all of them will get you so much extra cash.

While a million Brexit coins were released with the correct date of January 31 2020, some slipped through with the incorrect date several months earlier.

The Royal Mint had initially made coins with the date October 31 2019, which was the date we were originally due to leave.

After it was delayed, the coins were melted down.

None were thought to have survived, but now two have turned up, in such a rare find that an auctioneer compared it to finding Willy Wonka’s ‘golden ticket’.

Nigel Farage gleefully holding up a 50p Brexit coin after the UK’s exit from Europe (Picture: Getty)

The valuable version shows an earlier date than Brexit actually took place (Picture: HM Treasury)

Gregory Edmund, from Spink and Son auction house, is so excited by the find that he has set up an email hotline for anyone else who thinks they’ve found one.

He says he expects the coins to be worth at least £40,000 at auction, so is naturally keen to see if any others are clinking around.

Mr Edmund told The Telegraph: ‘Given the extremely stringent security at the Royal Mint, to suddenly have two examples survive, and be available for study at the same time, is a unique opportunity.

‘This truly feels like my Charlie Bucket moment discovering the numismatic Golden Ticket.’

These coins are so sought after that he thinks their sale would break his auction house’s record for the sale price of a circulating coin, which was £42,000 last year 1965 gold halfpenny which had an error.

The two which showed up were found by ‘lucky coin hunters’ in their loose change, he said.

They have not been confirmed as legitimate by the Royal Mint.

But if you think you’ve spotted one, you can email brexit50p@spink.com and potentially buy yourself much more than a Freddo bar.

James Turner