Gruffalo 50p coin error: New Royal Mint release could be worth four times its value after eagle-eyed collectors spot major mistake

A LIMITED-EDITION coin released just hours ago could be worth nearly four times its value after eagle-eyed collectors spotted a major error.

A new 50p coin to celebrate The Gruffalo’s Child has been released - but eagle-eyed collectors have already spotted a major error.

The Royal Mint unveiled the coin yesterday to mark 20 years since the beloved children’s book was published.

The childhood staple was one of a series of books about a scary monster called the Gruffalo and was written by author Julia Donaldson.

Since the story of the Gruffalo was first published in 1999 the book has gone on to become a childhood staple and has sold 13.5 million copies worldwide.

The new coin depicts the Gruffalo’s Child and Mouse in the forest and was designed by the book’s illustrator Axel Scheffler.

But despite the coin’s image being drawn by the original illustrator, sharp-eyed collectors at Change Checker have pointed out that the Gruffalo’s Child has fewer toes than in the book.

In the image on the coin the Gruffalo’s Child has three toes on each foot but the character in the original book and film adaption has four toes per foot.

The scene was taken from an illustration in the book which shows the toes of the Gruffalo’s Child hidden in the snow.

But the toes of the Gruffalo’s Child can be seen above the snow on the coin.

The error is also visible in the pawprints of the creature as she walks in the snow, which clearly also have three claws per foot.

The scene is taken from the book which follows the Gruffalo’s daughter who, despite her father’s warning, sets off into the woods to find the “big bad mouse”.

The coin cost £12 when first launched on the Royal Mint’s website but due to the error collectors are now listing it for £42.99 on secondhand website eBay.

As the coin has only recently gone on sale it is unclear whether its value will go up or down in the future.

A collectable coin is only worth the value that someone is willing to pay for it.

The 50p is an uncirculated coin which means you will not be able to find it in your change.

Prices rise to £21 if you want to buy a coloured version of the coin directly from the Royal Mint.

Meanwhile, a silver proof of the coin sells for £75 while a gold version costs £99.50.

You can buy and sell rare coins on secondhand websites such as eBay, at auctions or through coin dealers such as The Britannia Coin Company.

You will usually need to pay a commission and other postage fees in order to put a coin up for auction.

A design error such as this can make a coin even more valuable among collectors, according to experts Change Checker.

Experts at the company describe this coin as "certainly one to watch", adding "something like this generally makes coins even more collectable and sought-after".

A rare £2 Lord Kitchener coin sold for £1,000 at auction earlier this year.

The coin was missing the words ‘Two Pounds’ on its reverse, making it especially valuable.

Around 5,720,000 of these coins were minted in 2014 to mark 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War.

Meanwhile, a 20p coin which was struck without a date sold for 250 times its face value earlier this year.

The rare coin was dubbed “the holy grail of change collecting” by The Britannia Coin Company of Royal Wootton Bassett and fetched £50.

Only a limited number of 20p pieces were struck without a year in November 2008 after a printing error.

Other misprints of the coin have previously sold for £61 and £70.

This is not the first time that there has been a design ‘error’ made by the Royal Mint.

In 2021 a £2 coin commemorating H.G. Wells’ book War of the Worlds featured a four legged tripod.

The coin was part of a commemorative set to mark the 75th anniversary of the death of the science fiction novelist.

There were five coins in total in the £40 set, including a £5, two £2 and two 50ps.

Meanwhile, a “super rare” 50p coin sold for a whopping £4,500 in July.

One side of the coin depicted a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the date, 1990.

On the other side of the coin is a Christmas-themed design showing a choir boy and a puppy which was usually seen on 1989-dated coins.

Coins with mistakes such as these are known as ‘mules’ and can be exceptionally valuable.

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