Rare £1 coin sells for £257 on eBay because of error – check if you have one

This rare £1 coin looks like a fried egg because it has a misaligned core – which means the silver coloured centre bleeds into the outer ring, making it look really unusual

A rare £1 coin that looks like a fried egg due to an error in its design has sold for £257 on eBay.

The unusual piece has a misaligned core – which means the silver coloured centre of the pound coin bleeds into the outer ring.

All new £1 coins are made with two metal rings – the outside is made from nickel-brass, while the inside is nickel plated brass alloy.

The inner circle is supposed to fit perfectly in the centre of the coin but this one is elliptical in shape.

Coins that have been made with mistakes on them are called “error coins” and are extremely valuable to collectors.

This is because they could be only one of a handful, or one of a kind – so they’re hard to find.

The seller of this particular error coin says he isn’t aware of any others like this currently in circulation.

They said: “Only one known, to me. Searching for errors regularly for 20ish years on a daily basis.

“Egg errors are relatively common but, this is the only elliptical one I’ve seen.”

It sold for £257.52 exactly, plus £10 express delivery, after attracting 31 bids during a seven-day auction.

You can see the eBay listing here.

You should always be wary and do your research first before buying any coin on eBay, as there are fakes floating around.

Websites and Facebook groups from change experts like Coin Hunter can help you work out if a coin is the real deal or not.

Do you have a rare coin in your collection? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

You can also ask the Royal Mint to verify coins.

If you’re selling a coin, be aware that there isn’t a guarantee for how much you could get on eBay unless you set a reserve price.

Coins are really only worth what someone is willing to pay for them.

For more coins that could be worth a fortune, we’ve got a guide on the rarest error coins that could be worth up to £3,100.

Another coin to watch out for is this bizarre 20p with no date on – it can fetch up to £60 on eBay.

And this rare version of a £2 coin launched to mark the centenary of the First World War could be worth up to £500.

Meanwhile, a coin expert said how this HG Wells £2 coin could be worth up to £1,000 due to a minting error.