Not predecimal

[Guest rod]

Been searching the web for some info on a 20p coin that I have, and I found this site. Sorry if this isn't the right section to ask this question.

I have a 20p coin that appears to have been mis-struck (or whatever the technical term is) and never having seen a faulty coin before of any denomination - decimal or predecimal, just need some advice please. I don't expect it to be of great value but, is it something that's reasonably rare and worth holding on to?

[Chris Perkins 228]

British coins in general in the forum, doesn't have to be predecimal despite the website name!

The line coming from the B is the result of a die crack. On the inverted dies used for striking the coins, that line would have been incuse, not raised as it is on the coin. The crack may well have been caused by the blob on the Queen, which may have been some kind of debris picked up by the dies on a previous strike casuing a hollow bit of damage (and the crack) on the die and resulting in the mal-formed 20p that you have.

Die cracks were pretty common in the past, but are rarely seen on modern coins, as least, not obviously seen on modern coins. The quality of the other 20p's struck after yours probably got worse until someone noticed and the really awful ones were probably rejected. Yours escaped into the pot and into circulation!

I don't expect the value to be huge though. It's interesting in an anorak sort of way, but it doesn't have a wow factor! I'd probably give you a couple of pounds for it, which is many times face value

[TomGoodheart 400]

Ooh! Oo! *Waves hand* Do you want to buy this Chris? No, seriously. Though not as dramatic as rod's 20p I wonder if things are getting sloppy at the mint. Surely dies cracks this early in an issue ought to be sorted out? And worse, that blob over the top of the 7 means that I'll never be able to sell this as an MS70 to our trans-Atlantic cousins!

[scottishmoney 34]

There are little hairline die cracks coming from just about every letter in the legend, that is a pretty dramatic penny.

[TomGoodheart 400]

Yes and it's one of the first 2007 I've seen so it's in pretty poor nick for a 'new' issue.

Hey! Maybe that's the idea. The Mint produces millions of duff coins and a handful of MS70s for sale to 'collectors' at $20,000 a pop. Brilliant!

.

[Guest rod]

Thanks Chris for your speedy and informative reply.

As for this comment .

I'd probably give you a couple of pounds for it, which is many times face value

I think I'll hold on to it, on the off chance that one day it may be worth a fortune

Rod

[Chris Perkins 228]

It's unlikely to be worth a fortune at any point in the future. If you look at Victorian coins with similar errors (granted, that type of error was common then) most dealers don't add anything to the normal prices.

Anyway, I can live without it!