Two Rare Brexit Coins Surface, Potentially Worth Tens of Thousands

Two Rare Brexit Coins Surface, Potentially Worth Tens of Thousands

Two 50p Brexit coins minted with the wrong exit date have been discovered, sparking excitement among collectors. These coins were originally part of a million minted to mark the planned Brexit day of October 31st, 2019. However, after the deadline was extended, they were melted down and recycled.

The two surviving coins are now believed to be worth tens of thousands of pounds. Gregory Edmund, a numismatic specialist from Spink & Son auction house, described the discovery as a "unique opportunity" and compared it to finding a "numismatic Golden Ticket."

These coins are not the only ones with a wrong Brexit date. A thousand trial coins were also made to mark the first exit date of March 29th, 2019, which was also missed. These coins were later recycled into new coins with the updated exit deadline of January 31st, 2020.

The two October deadline coins are the only ones known to be in circulation, although the Royal Mint has not confirmed their validity. If they were to be auctioned, Mr. Edmund estimates they could fetch more than £40,000. He has set up a hotline for anyone who finds another one of these rare coins.

The original Brexit coins sparked controversy before entering circulation, not just for political reasons but also for the lack of an Oxford comma in their inscription. Author Sir Philip Pullman called for a boycott of the coins due to the missing comma, arguing that it should "be boycotted by all literate people.