The exact dates to spot on the 10 rarest 1p coins worth up to £200k revealed – do you have one in your change?
A COIN collecting fanatic has rounded up the top 10 rarest 1p coins, plus the exact dates to spot.
The TikTok creator, who goes by CoinCollectingWizard, ran through the most valuable pennies, with one of them worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
He shared details of the coins on his account where he has also collected 211k followers.
Speaking in the video, he urged viewers to “stop what you’re doing and listen”.
He said: “Did you know there are old pennies worth thousands of pounds?”
In some cases, the extremely rare 1p pieces have sold for a whopping £200,000.
So it’s definitely worth rooting around in your purse or wallet to see if you have any.
Bear in mind though, that you might not always get such a hefty amount for a rare coin.
The design of the coin, its condition and whether or not the coin is in circulation also affects how much it could be worth.
You can easily figure out how rare a coin is, by checking its mintage figures.
This relates to how many coins were produced by The Royal Mint.
If a coin has a low mintage, it means there’s less in circulation and is therefore rarer and it could potentially be worth more than its face value.
Either way, you’ll want to keep an eye out for some in particular which can sell for big numbers.
Plus sometimes specific details can determine how much the penny will sell for – such as if it has an error.
The coin expert ran through the most rare coins, and the specific dates.
1933 1p coin – over £200,000
The highly sought-after 1933 penny is a coin that collectors are desperate to get their hands on.
While there are other dates to look out for, there are only seven 1933 coins known to exist.
These pennies were not intended for general circulation.
Instead, they were struck for ceremonial purposes, such as being placed under the foundation stones of important buildings.
Some were also made for museum collections.
It’s worth as much as £200,000 and one recently sold at auction.
1875 1p coin – £3,000
The 1875 ‘H’ penny is worth between £100 and £3,000 according to the TikTokker.
Some 1875 pennies were minted at the Heaton Mint in Birmingham and bear an “H” mint mark.
These coins are rarer than those minted at the Royal Mint in London.
The “H” mint mark is located to the left of the date on the reverse side of the coin.
How much you’d get for it depends on grade, condition, desirability, and demand.
The obverse shows a bust of Queen Victoria facing left, with her hair in a bun.
The small ‘H’ under the year of mintage on the reverse is what makes this coin rare, it shows that it was created by the Heaton mint.
1919 1p coin – £2,000
Pennies struck at the Kings Norton mint in Birmingham have the letters K and N to the left of the date.
It’s thought around 5,209,600 were minted.
Similar to other coins from the World War I era, some 1919 pennies were minted at the Heaton Mint.
These coins bear an “H” or “KN” mint mark, respectively, which is located to the left of the date on the reverse side of the coin.
Depending on the condition of the coin, the CoinCollectingWizard estimates the value can range up to £2,000.
1918 1p coin – £600
First up is the 1918 ‘KN’ penny, which has been sold for between £30 and £600 in the past.
The 1p is British penny coin minted in 1918 at the Kings Norton Mint.
The “KN” mint mark is located to the left of the date on the coin.
During the reign of King George V the Royal Mint ran out of capacity to strike enough coins, so they contracted out the minting of some pennies.
Any coins minted in 1918 with the special mark are considered extremely rare and difficult to find.
1902 1p coin – £500
The 1902 “Low Tide” penny is a bronze coin minted in England during the reign of King Edward VII.
It features Britannia seated right with a trident and shield, and a low tide level in the sea
The “low tide” variety is considerably scarcer than the “normal” tide pieces.
The 1p piece is worth as much as £500 at auction.
1882 1p coin – £200
The 1882 1p ‘H’ coin was minted during the reign of Queen Victoria.
Some of the pennies were minted at the Heaton Mint in Birmingham and bear an “H” mint mark.
There are different varieties of the 1882 penny, including differences in the design and die used.
Collectors often seek out these varieties, especially if they are less common.
It can be worth as much as £200, according to the coin fanatic.
1894 1p coin – £160
The 1894 1p coin is considered rare and highly sought after by collectors.
This particular coin was minted during the reign of Queen Victoria and is part of the British pre-decimal currency system.
The penny had a relatively low mintage compared to other years, making it less common.
It’s worth as much as £160 according to CoinCollectingWizard
1918 1p coin – £150
The rare 1918 1p ‘H’ coin is notable for a few specific characteristics that make it highly sought after by collectors.
During World War I, there was a need to produce more coins, so some pennies were minted at the Heaton Mint.
Pennies with these mint marks are rarer than those minted at the Royal Mint in London.
Coins from the World War I era are often collected for their historical significance.
It can be worth as much as £150.
1951 1p coin – £100
The 1951 penny was produced for overseas use only, as there was no need to mint more pennies in Britain due to the large number already in circulation.
It’s considered a rare find for collectors and acquired a cult status after many claims were made about its investment potential in the early 1960s.
In the Festival of Britain year of 1951 just 120,000 coins were struck.
With only this tiny quantity struck, fifty years ago you can see why this coin today is such a rarity.
According to the TikTokker, it’s worth between £50 and £100.
1950 1p coin – £70
According to the TikTokker, the 1950 George VI penny is worth between £30 and £70.
Only 240,000 of these coins were made, and they were all sent overseas.
If you find one and it’s in good condition you could make 7,000 its face value.
How to spot valuable items
COMMENTS by Consumer Editor, Alice Grahns:
It’s easy to check if items in your attic are valuable.
As a first step, go on eBay to check what other similar pieces, if not the same, have sold for recently.
Simply search for your item, filter by “sold listings” and toggle by the highest value.
This will give you an idea of how much others are willing to pay for it.
The method can be used for everything ranging from rare coins and notes to stamps, old toys, books and vinyl records – just to mention a few examples.
For coins, online tools from change experts like Coin Hunter are also helpful to see how much it could be worth.
Plus, you can refer to Change Checker’s latest scarcity index update to see which coins are topping the charts.
For especially valuable items, you may want to enlist the help of experts or auction houses.
Do your research first though and be aware of any fees for evaluating your stuff.
As a rule of thumb, rarity and condition are key factors in determining the value of any item.
You’re never guaranteed to make a mint, however.
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