Exact sketch of woman on £2 coin that makes it up to 28 times MORE valuable – is there a huge profit in your wallet?
THIS exact sketch of a woman on your £2 coin could make it up to 28 times more valuable.
The rare coins were minted in 2002 and are ranked at the maximum of 100 on Change Checker’s scarcity index.
Some of the coins have sold for well over £50 in the past few months, netting owners a hefty profit.
One sold for £57 on July 3 – which is 28 times more than it’s value.
The coin in question is the Queen Elizabeth II £2: Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland.
The coin’s main feature is a sketch of a running woman accompanied by the flag of Northern Ireland.
The edge of the piece is inscribed ‘Spirit Of Friendship, Manchester 2002’.
Its flip side features a standard image of Queen Elizabeth II.
If your coin looks like this, you may have just hit the jackpot.
485,500 of the coins were minted, according to coin site Change Checker.
They were commissioned to celebrate the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Three other similar looking coins were also created to represent the remaining home nations, England, Scotland, and Wales.
The other coins differ only for the central cameo which features a different flag for the four constituent countries of the UK.
All four pieces frequently sell for more than 10 times their value individually.
The combined set is one of the most coveted coin collections out there.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were at the time the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, until the 2012 London Olympics.
How to sell a rare coin
If, after checking, you realise you’ve come across a rare coin, there’s a number of ways you can sell it.
You can sell it on eBay, through Facebook, or in an auction.
But be wary of the risks.
For example, there are a number of scams targeting sellers on Facebook.
Crooks will say they’re planning to buy the item and ask for money upfront for a courier they’ll be sending around.
But it’s all a ruse to get you to send free cash to them – and they never have any intention of picking your item up.
It’s always best to meet in person when buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace.
Ensure it’s a public meeting spot that’s in a well-lit area.
Avoid payment links and log in directly through the payment method’s website.
Most sellers prefer to deal with cash directly when meeting to ensure it’s legitimate.
The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction.
You can organise this with The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service. It has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
You can get in touch via email and a member of the valuation team will get back to you.
You will be charged for the service, though – the cost varies depending on the size of your collection.
Meanwhile, you can sell rare coins on eBay.
But take into account that if you manage to sell your item then eBay will charge you 10% of the money you made – this includes postage and packaging.
Always keep proof of postage to protect yourself from dodgy buyers who may claim they never received the item.
Send the parcel by tracked delivery if you can as this way they can’t claim it never arrived.
Most valuable £2 coins
We reveal the most valuable £2 coins and how much they've sold for in the past.
2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland – £60
In 2002, four different designs of this £2 coin were created to commemorate the Commonwealth games, but the Irish version is the rarest with only 485,500 minted.
We’ve seen this coin listed for as much as £60 on eBay in May with one bid.
There’s more money on the line if you’ve got the complete set though.
One seller proved this right when all four coins went for a whopping £100.
2002 Commonwealth Games England – £35
Another in the 2002 Commonwealth series, the English version is one of the rarest coins in circulation.
Some 650,500 were minted at the time, making the coin rare enough for eBay bidders to happily pay as much as £35 for it.
The edge of this coin also has the inscription “Spirit of Friendship, Manchester 2002″, which adds appeal to collectors too.
One recently went on the market on eBay for £27 with one bid.
2002 Commonwealth Games Wales – £27
With only 588,500 put into circulation, the 2002 Commonwealth Games Wales £2 coin celebrates Wales’ achievements in the event.
The piece features a figure in motion holding a banner, encircling the Welsh flag.
It is the fourth rarest in the Commonwealth set and the fourth rarest in the overall list.
We’ve seen one sell on eBay for £26.97 in May this year with 10 bids.
London 2012 Handover – £35
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.
We saw one sell for £35 on eBay this month after 10 bids.
Olympic centenary – £37.95
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.
We’ve seen one version sell on eBay for £37.95 in February.
2002 Commonwealth Games Scotland – £24.97
Out of all of the valuable Commonwealth coins, Scotland’s is the sixth rarest out of all rare £2 coins.
It has a mintage of 771,750 – some 286,250 more than were released in the Irish version.
It features pretty much the same design as the other coins in the series but the Scottish flag is on the design instead.
Bidders on eBay have still paid higher than face value, we’ve seen one version sell on eBay for £24.97 in May.
Olympic handover – £9.99
Still in the top ten is the Olympic Handover coin.
This £2 details Beijing in 2008 handing over the Olympics to London in 2012, and shows the Olympic flag and two hands shaking.
One sold for precisely £9.99 in May on eBay with one bid.
There are 918,000 of these in circulation.
King James Bible – £23.95
Next on the list is a coin showing the King James Bible.
One was for £23.95 in May on eBay with one bid.
According to Change Checker, there are 975,000 in circulation.
Mary Rose – £19.50
A circulated £2 showing the famous Mary Rose ship sold on eBay for £19.50.
There are just over one million in circulation, and it lands ninth on Change Checker’s scarcity index.
2015 First World War (Navy) – £10.50
There were also 650,000 of the First World War Navy £2 coins minted in 2015.
The coin features a battleship design by military artist David Rowlands and the 5th portrait of the Queen.
It’s also the second in a five-coin series remembering the First World War and celebrates the efforts of the Royal Navy and their contribution to the war effort.
One sold on eBay in May for £10.50 with two bids.
Great Fire of London – £14.95
The Great Fire of London £2 coin was first put into circulation in 2016 to mark the 350th anniversary of the historic event.
The reverse side of the piece was designed by Aaron West, depicting the city of London burning.
The coin wasn’t always considered so rare, but it has since transpired its mintage figure was incorrectly published.
A recent auction on eBay saw the piece go for £14.95 with one bid.