Yahoo Finance New £1 coin: A man claims the 'most secure coin' in the world has already been forged
The new 12-sided £1 coin, which has been in circulation for less than a month, has been described by the Royal Mint as “the most secure” in the world. But a charity worker claims he already found a fake version of the new coin.
Roy Wright believes his partner was given a fake £1 coin in change when shopping at a Co-op store in Surrey after he identified little differences with the original one.
Mr Wright told the Sun: “The coin is completely different and is more rounded around the edge.
“There is clearly space between the engraving lines, it’s a different size, the Queen’s head is to the left, and there is no detail of the head of the thistle – it’s just a blob.
“The stem of the coin has got no detail on it, there are a lot of things wrong with it.”
Mr Wright also reportedly said the coin was heavier and had no hologram.
The Royal Mint was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Independent.
After almost 34 years in circulation, the old £1 coin, which is still in circulation, has become increasingly vulnerable to sophisticated counterfeiters. An estimated one in 30 of those pound coins is fake, according to the Royal Mint.
The 12-sided coin boasts new security features, which include a hologram-like image that changes from a £ symbol to the number one when the coin is seen from different angles. Around 1.5 billion of the new coins are being struck.
More than 200,000 “trial coins”, were issued to businesses and retailers in preparation for the official release on 28 March and collectors are now desperate to get their hands on them, even though the Royal Mint has made clear that these coins don't have legal tender status and have no redeemable value.
On eBay, bidding for the trial coins is starting at between £150 and £250 with some selling for up to £6,000.