Australians who still have 2c coins stashed away have been urged to check for one tiny detail that could earn them hundreds.
The coin, which went out of circulation in 1992, features a frilled- neck lizard designed by renowned Australian artist and metalworker Stuart Devlin.
His work is signed by a small ‘SD’ under the native lizard’s belly but, for an unknown reason, a small number of the coins don’t feature his initials.
The mistake, which the Perth Mint described as ‘a mystery’, is only featured on two mintages of the coins.
The rarity of the ‘SD’ error has made the coins skyrocket in value.
Australians who have a 2c coin with the ‘SD’ initials missing from under the frilled-neck lizard’s belly (as above – the ‘SD’ should appear between its two centre feet) could be sitting on hundreds of dollars
A few of the highly sought after coins are currently for sale on eBay with prices reaching up to $499.99.
The Perth Mint made about 16,995,000 of the iconic frill neck lizard coins.
‘We now know that ‘SD’ is missing from some 1967 and 1981 issues,’ it said of the mistake.
‘Despite our best efforts to find out precisely how it occurred, the story remains a mystery.’
Rare coin dealer Andrew Crellin told Perth Mint the coveted coins have been increasing in value.
‘Several coins that have been independently graded as being among the finest known examples have recently made prices in excess of several thousand dollars on a leading online auction site,’ he said.
Pictured is a 2c coin showing the SD intials undernear the frilled-neck lizard
Coins featuring the rare mistake have been selling for hundreds of dollars (pictured, the back of a rare 2c coin with the missing ‘SD’)
Even 2c coins with the ‘SD’ initials are a prized favourite of collectors with those in good conditions selling around the $165 mark.
‘No wonder there’s renewed interest in the humble two cents as people in the know scramble to check their old decimal coins… just in case,’ Perth Mint said.
‘Have you looked at yours recently?’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
