eBay coin collectors may have spotted the General Kitchener WW1 £2 coin, which is listed for a starting bid of £70. This is far above the coin’s face value – so is it worth that much? The seller certainly thinks so, describing it as “rare”. Buyers can start the bidding at £70 or make an offer, and the seller is offering returns.
It is to this instantly recognisable image that experienced coinage artist John Bergdahl turned to create his stirring design
Royal Mint
Writing about the design, the Royal Mint said: “In 2014 this coin marked the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War and was the first coin in a five-year series, on a journey from ‘outbreak to armistice’.
“The coin remembers one of the most significant moments in British history with a design that recalls the spirit, and with hindsight, the poignancy, of the rush to enlist encouraged by Lord Kitchener.
“In 1914 Lord Kitchener was appointed to mastermind a recruitment campaign that would go on to create one of the largest volunteer armies ever known in Britain.
“Though many posters encouraged the men of Britain to enlist, the image of Kitchener himself came to stand for the call to fight for ‘King and Country’ that saw men respond in their thousands.
“It is to this instantly recognisable image that experienced coinage artist John Bergdahl turned to create his stirring design.”
The coin caused a “stir” at the time of its release, according to ChangeChecker – but what is it worth now?
According to the specialist coin site, it had a circulating mintage of 5,720,000 and is ranked 1-Common on the Scarcity Index.
This means that it is not worth more than the face value – unless there is a minting error, which may increase its value.
Finding a coin which is genuinely rare isn’t that easy, which is why collectors jump on those with minting errors or an unusual design.
One coin which is repeatedly hailed as rare is the Kew Gardens 50p coin.
The Kew Gardens coin was first released in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens in London.
It was designed by Christopher Le Brun and features a graphic of the Kew’s Chinese Pagoda.
The coin was released with a mintage of just 210,000 and it is ranked at 100 on the scarcity index, according to Change Checker.
This means the coin is not only rare, but the scarcest 50p coin out there – so interested collectors should snap them up if they see them.
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