Rare 2 Pence Coin Sells for £800 to Raise Money for a UK Hospital

A two pence donation left in a collection box at a hospital in UK has fetched more than £800 in an online auction.

(Photo: iStock)

A rare 1971 two pence coin left in a donation box at a hospital in the UK has sold for more than 800 pounds at an auction.

The coin, which dates back to 1971 and is silver in colour rather than bronze, was found in a donation box used for unwanted foreign currency at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

The two pence coin was auctioned on eBay, and was bought by a collector for 802.03 pounds, ‘BBC News’ reported.

Silver coins are mistakenly created when a blank cupro-nickel coin is left inside a barrel during the production process.

The coin was among those produced between 1971 and 1981 which are emblazoned with the words ‘new pence’ instead of “Two Pence”.

Donations made to the box are used to purchase equipment and fund research at the hospital.

Last year, a silver two pence coin from 1988 was auctioned for 1,200 pounds in Dorset.

(With inputs from PTI)