When Mr Lloyd Hefferman decided to have a pint at The Botolph Arms in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, he didn't realise that he would become a potentially rich man.
After buying a pint, he was handed a 20p coin with his change, after which he discovered that it is a rare 20p worth £7000.
After a mix up at the Royal Mint in Wales, where Britain's coins are made, some of the new 20p coins have the new picture on the tails side where the date used to be, mismatched with the old design on the other. The result is a number of 20p coins have entered circulation without a date.
All British legal tender coins have carried the date of issue since 1662.
The old 20p used to have a rose with a crown on the tails side. Now the new coins (only those from the 1p to the 50p and not the £1 and £2 coins) each have a different segment of the Royal Coat of Arms on the tails side and the Royal Coat of Arms can be made by putting together all the new coins - 1p to 50p - like a jigsaw puzzle. The new £1 features the entire Royal Coat of Arms, and the £2 coin is unchanged.
The botched up 20p coins can be worth up to £7000.
The 20p coin came into being in 1982 and more than 3 billion have been struck.
Customer handed 20p worth £7,000 in change for pint
A pub customer was celebrating after being handed a rare undated 20p worth more than £7,000 among the change for his pint.
04 Jul 2009
The Telegraph
Mistakenly released by the Royal Mint in Cardiff last year, each piece has a new picture on the tails side where the date used to be, mismatched with the old design on the other
Lloyd Hefferman, 38, was enjoying a summer drink with his friends at The Botolph Arms pub in Peterborough, Cambs, when bar staff handed him the coin.
The 20p coins, which are the first in 300 years to enter circulation without a date, are still legal tender and have caused a frenzy in the coin collecting world.
A number of the coins have already sold on auction site eBay, with one fetching £7,100 last week.
The new 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins each feature segments of the Royal Coat of Arms, which can be seen if you join the coins together like a jigsaw puzzle. The new £1 coin features the entire Royal Coat of Arms, and the £2 coin remains unchanged.
Mistakenly released by the Royal Mint in Cardiff last year, each piece has a new picture on the tails side where the date used to be, mismatched with the old design on the other.
Mr Hefferman, of Peterborough, said he had been amazed to discover the lucky coin in his change and said he had already had offers for it.
"I had heard about the rare 20 pence pieces on the news that day, and was talking with my mates about how brilliant it would be to find one," he said.
"When I was given my change I thought I would have a look to see if I had one, not expecting to find it and then I just couldn't believe my eyes.
"I have had offers from friends and colleagues for up to £500, but won't be selling it yet."
Despite the fact that 200,000 of the coins, known as mules, have entered circulation, the odds of finding one are still small.
More than 3,218,000,000 of the 20p coins have been minted since they were first struck in 1982.
A spokesman for the Royal Mint said mistakes like the one which lead to the production of the coin were very rare.
"Last year there was an unusual lapse in quality control at the Royal Mint," he said.
"A batch of 20p coins were issued with mismatched sides. The result is a number of 20p coins have entered circulation without a date."
All British legal tender coins have carried the date of issue since 1662.
telegraph.co.uk
After buying a pint, he was handed a 20p coin with his change, after which he discovered that it is a rare 20p worth £7000.
After a mix up at the Royal Mint in Wales, where Britain's coins are made, some of the new 20p coins have the new picture on the tails side where the date used to be, mismatched with the old design on the other. The result is a number of 20p coins have entered circulation without a date.
All British legal tender coins have carried the date of issue since 1662.
The old 20p used to have a rose with a crown on the tails side. Now the new coins (only those from the 1p to the 50p and not the £1 and £2 coins) each have a different segment of the Royal Coat of Arms on the tails side and the Royal Coat of Arms can be made by putting together all the new coins - 1p to 50p - like a jigsaw puzzle. The new £1 features the entire Royal Coat of Arms, and the £2 coin is unchanged.
The botched up 20p coins can be worth up to £7000.
The 20p coin came into being in 1982 and more than 3 billion have been struck.
Customer handed 20p worth £7,000 in change for pint
A pub customer was celebrating after being handed a rare undated 20p worth more than £7,000 among the change for his pint.
04 Jul 2009
The Telegraph
Mistakenly released by the Royal Mint in Cardiff last year, each piece has a new picture on the tails side where the date used to be, mismatched with the old design on the other
Lloyd Hefferman, 38, was enjoying a summer drink with his friends at The Botolph Arms pub in Peterborough, Cambs, when bar staff handed him the coin.
The 20p coins, which are the first in 300 years to enter circulation without a date, are still legal tender and have caused a frenzy in the coin collecting world.
A number of the coins have already sold on auction site eBay, with one fetching £7,100 last week.
The new 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins each feature segments of the Royal Coat of Arms, which can be seen if you join the coins together like a jigsaw puzzle. The new £1 coin features the entire Royal Coat of Arms, and the £2 coin remains unchanged.
Mistakenly released by the Royal Mint in Cardiff last year, each piece has a new picture on the tails side where the date used to be, mismatched with the old design on the other.
Mr Hefferman, of Peterborough, said he had been amazed to discover the lucky coin in his change and said he had already had offers for it.
"I had heard about the rare 20 pence pieces on the news that day, and was talking with my mates about how brilliant it would be to find one," he said.
"When I was given my change I thought I would have a look to see if I had one, not expecting to find it and then I just couldn't believe my eyes.
"I have had offers from friends and colleagues for up to £500, but won't be selling it yet."
Despite the fact that 200,000 of the coins, known as mules, have entered circulation, the odds of finding one are still small.
More than 3,218,000,000 of the 20p coins have been minted since they were first struck in 1982.
A spokesman for the Royal Mint said mistakes like the one which lead to the production of the coin were very rare.
"Last year there was an unusual lapse in quality control at the Royal Mint," he said.
"A batch of 20p coins were issued with mismatched sides. The result is a number of 20p coins have entered circulation without a date."
All British legal tender coins have carried the date of issue since 1662.
telegraph.co.uk