Rare 20p coin fetches £55 on eBay: Could you have a fortune in your pocket change?

A 20p piece fetched a staggering 275 times its face value on eBay and there's a chance you might have one of these rarities jingling in your change jar.

This wasn't just any old shrapnel, but a highly coveted error coin, the likes of which are celebrated by collectors far and wide, explained the experts at Britannia Coin Company. Dubbed the "holy grail" for coin enthusiasts, this particular error-ridden 20p is part of a rare batch that slipped through quality control without a date, an incident that hadn't happened in over three centuries.

Back in November 2008, among the staggering 136 million 20p pieces produced, a mere estimated 250,000 went into circulation with the date missing, the Royal Mint disclosed. While the odds are slim, theres still a chance one could be lurking amongst your coins.

READ MORE: Plans to turn former offices in 19th-century building into apartments READ MORE: Suburban drinkers, OAPs and middle-aged revellers spark surprise over booze stats

On June 17, someone's sharp eye caught one such undated 20p coin, and they promptly put it up for bids on eBay as "RARE UNDATED UK 20 PENCE COIN, MINT ERROR K30". Kickstarting the auction with a modest reserve of 99p, it didnt take long for the floodgates to open, with an initial offer of £1 coming in barely within an hour.

Two days later, another bid heralded the start of a proper bidding battle royale, reports the Mirror.

The listing drew in no less than 34 eager bidders, culminating in a victorious bid of £55. Tack on £3.10 for standard postage, and the winning bidder ended up parting with £58.10.

Let this serve as a friendly nudge keep an eagle eye on your pocket change; you never know when a small fortune might pop up amidst the pennies and pounds.

If you're lucky enough to stumble upon a rare coin, you might be tempted to follow in the footsteps of others and sell it. However, keep in mind that selling a coin on eBay is never a sure thing - a coin's value is ultimately determined by what someone is willing to pay for it.

For breaking news in your area direct to your inbox every day, go here to sign up to our free newsletter