A COIN expert has given insight into a rare detail on a 20p coin which makes it 300 times more valuable.

The professional, who goes by the name of the CoinCollectingWizard on TikTok, shared how an error on a 20p coin made in 2008 has made it one of the “holy grails” for collectors.

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Almost two decades ago a number of 20p coins were struck with the wrong dye, resulting in no date on the coin.

The social media star said this was due to a mix-up at the Royal Mint when the new Royal Shield of Arms design was introduced.

It was the first time in 300 years that it had been produced without a date.

“This makes it highly sought after by coin collectors,” the coin-collecting professional said.

It is thought around 250,000 coins have the error.

The front of the coin features the traditional profile of Queen Elizabeth II.

Meanwhile, the back of the 20p features a segment of the Royal Shield.

Neither side of the coin features a date making it a rare find.

This coin is known as the undated 20p coin and can sell for up to £75 on places such as eBay.

It’s also still in circulation meaning you have a chance of receiving one in your change if you pay for something in a shop.

But that has not stopped coin collectors from paying a hefty sum to get their hands on one.

The Sun found a 20p mule coin that was sold for £75 this week on eBay.

Another seller paid £51 for the coin at the start of October.

However, it is important to note that a coin is only worth how much the buyer is willing to pay for it.

Other rare coins which could be worth more include the One Penny which dates back to 1893, but it’s the production error which makes it a valuable find. 

The ancient coin features Britannia on the back and the reverse of the coin is the usual Queen Victoria bun head, which is a feature on many coins from this era. 

What makes the coin valuable is an error with the number three in the date at the bottom of the coin. 

Under the number three of the error coin, it looks like there is the start of a number two.

If the coin features this it could be worth up to £600.

How to spot rare coins and banknotes

Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds.

If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value.

You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers.

These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch’s face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note.

Also if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky you could cash in thousands.

For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes.

You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick “completed and sold items” and filter by the highest value.

It will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes.

But do bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.

The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay.

Experts from Change Checker recommend looking at “sold listings” to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed.

People can list things for any price they like, but it doesn’t mean it will sell for that amount.

We explain further how you can find out if you have a rare coin worth thousands sitting around the house.

AJ Bell’s platform business has continued to grow, with customer numbers increasing by 66,000 to 542,000.

This represents an increase of 14% in the past year.

Its year-end trading update, published today (17 October), shows the total number of advised platform customers has increased by 12,000 to 171,000.

Meanwhile, the total number of D2C platform customers rose by 54,000 to 371,000, up 17% compared to last year.

Platform assets under administration (AUA) rose to a record £86.5bn, an increase of 22% from 2023.

Gross and net inflows across the platform were significantly higher than previous years too, which AJ Bell said was driven by improved retail investor confidence.

Gross inflows hit £13.1bn, up 41% versus 2023 (£9.3bn), while net inflows hit £6.1bn, up 45% compared to the previous year (£4.2bn)

However, despite storing performance across its platform business, AJ Bell saw net inflows into its investment business fall by £100m.

In both the advised and D2C markets, it recorded net inflows of £1.5bn, compared to £1.6bn the previous year.

Assets under management (AUM) in its investment business reached a record £6.8bn, up 45% from last year’s total of £4.7bn.

AJ Bell chief executive officer, Michael Summersgill, said: “I am pleased to report on another excellent year in which we have delivered impressive growth in customers and assets under administration.

“Our strategy is centered on our dual-channel platform which serves both the advised and D2C platform markets using a single technology platform and single operating model.

“This maximises our growth opportunity within the platform market, whilst being highly efficient to operate.

“Platform net inflows of over £6bn demonstrates the benefit of serving both markets, while our efficient model drives strong profitability, enabling continual reinvestment in the business to support our long-term growth ambitions.”

Summersgill believes AJ Bell’s performance is down to enhancing its propositions, improving brand awareness and lowering the cost of investing for customers.

He also said the firm had seen “a noticeable change” in both customer contributions to pensions and tax-free cash withdrawals.

While these behavioural changes do not have a material impact on AJ Bell’s business performance, Summersgill said they represent significant decisions for individual customers.

“We have therefore made representations to the Treasury calling for a commitment to a pension tax lock in the Budget, guaranteeing stability in key pension tax legislation for at least this parliament.”

Summersgill said that while the upcoming Budget has introduced “unhelpful uncertainty”, he “remains positive about the outlook for AJ Bell and the platform market more broadly.”

I have recently been spending a lot of time thinking about my business and what’s next for us.

We’ve had a really good few years, from a growth perspective. We’ve integrated one acquisition and we’re looking at one or two others. We are in an objectively good shape.

However, as the firm grows and more advisers join the team, we need to find a way to continue to build and for the business to be able to sustain itself.

When we set up, it was mainly my own connections and relationships that generated new clients. But that’s probably not enough now. The old adage of, ‘What got us here won’t get us there,’ feels apt.

We must do what fits for us. And why shouldn’t it be something we enjoy doing?

And so to marketing.

It feels as if there are a million and one resources, from a financial services marketing perspective.

From podcasts by industry experts, marketing specialists, SEO companies and consultants galore, to other advisers promoting what they do on LinkedIn and/or X (formerly Twitter), it’s a minefield when determining who to follow and which options are best.

I have thought a lot about which approaches to explore and from whom to take inspiration. So many good people are providing really excellent, free content.

However, I chose to come away from all of that ‘stuff’. I went back to basics. I started thinking about my business, my life, what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.

We decided to go to our best introducers and best clients and ask them what they, their peers, their colleagues and their friends might be interested in

Why? Well, while no doubt good, all the information out there is pretty generic. There can be basic guides for what can work or what has worked for other people, sure. However, these aren’t specific to me, to my business and to what I want to do with my time.

Actual people

So, I went back to thinking about what had brought people to my company and what had made them stay. Also, what I enjoyed in terms of marketing and what I didn’t.

As business owners, we get to choose these things. I don’t want to be ruled by the business — I want to rule it. This led me to AP — actual people.

Forget AI; AP is where it’s at. I like people. I like speaking with them, learning their stories, hearing what challenges they have and thinking through the options to overcome them.

What is working already? What feels comfortable to you? What can you do often and sustainably

I realised, if we’re a business that people join and stay with because of the human connection, why don’t we do things that encourage more human connections?

We decided to go to our best introducers and best clients and ask them what they, their peers, their colleagues and their friends might be interested in.

These people are already advocates of ours. They get it, they get us.

I understand why writing social-media posts or creating a podcast (I had one of those) and other digital content is useful for marketing. However, those things aren’t what define us.

I don’t like the peer pressure about what you need to do, marketing-wise. We must do what fits for us. Yes, we’d like it to work but why shouldn’t it be something we enjoy doing? Something authentic and sustainable.

We will monitor the results — who came in as clients and what work came from it. That’s the analytics we can review.

Gauging feedback

Our marketing to-do list was relatively long to start with but we decided to refine it to three or four projects initially and gauge feedback from there.

None of these are revolutionary, either. Sorry if you thought I was going to give you the key to loads of new business.

We’re starting with a wine-tasting evening local to a number of our clients with a local wine-production company we know.

We’re doing an evening at a high-end watch retailer with a number of sports and entrepreneur clients with a big interest in watches.

I started thinking about my business, my life, what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it

We have seminars arranged, reviewing pensions and inheritance tax planning.

And we’re planning an event with our charity partner, Spread a Smile, to show our clients what we do as a business for them.

We will ask introducers to bring potential clients and we will ask clients to bring like-minded individuals.

I will update on how this has gone over the next year or so, but the main point of this column was to remind other business owners and advisers to think through what their marketing looks like.

What is working already? What feels comfortable to you? What can you do often and sustainably, and enjoy rather than endure? Good luck.

Sam Sloma is managing director of Engage Financial Services

This article featured in the October 2024 edition of Money Marketing. 

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QUALITY Street has made a big change to one of its chocolate pouches before Christmas.

Nestle, which makes the iconic sweets, has added a new chocolate to its Quality Street “Favourites Golden Selection” pouch.

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The bags feature some of customers’ favourite Quality Street sweets which come in a golden wrapper.

Before this year only the Toffee Finger and the Caramel Swirl were featured in the 283g bag.

But Quality Street has confirmed that now the Toffee Penny has been added.

Fans have been delighted by the news, with one writing commenting on X, formally Twitter, that it was “amazing”.

“It’s going to be a great Christmas,” said another.

“Toffee pennies have always been my favourites. Thank you!” said a third chocolate lover.

Shoppers can buy the Favourites Golden Selection pouches from a range of different supermarkets.

One of the cheapest on the market currently appears to be Asda, which is selling a 283g pouch for £3.50.

Nestle has been making Quality Street pouches for quite some time to offer customers an alternative to the traditional plastic they are served in.

They come in a range of different flavours including a creme selection and a pouch of just Strawberry Delights.

Nestle has made a number of changes to Quality Street ahead of Christmas 2024.

This includes launching entirely paper tubs.

The recyclable box is available to buy in around 60 Tesco stores as Nestle trials more sustainable packaging.

Fans were not impressed by the move with one stating it had taken the “sparkle and excitement out of Christmas”.

The introduction of the new paper tubs does not signal the immediate end of its plastic and metal tins.

Its 600g and 800g tubs are still available to buy at supermarkets and online.

Return of a classic

Nestle has also brought back a Quality Street fan-favourite for the second Christmas in a row.

The coffee creme flavour chocolate was last seen in Quality Street tubs over 20 years ago until the chocolatier reintroduced it last year.

Nestle has confirmed that the sweet treat will be available once again this Christmas.

However, fans won’t find the iconic flavour in the usual Quality Street tubs.

Instead, the coffee-flavour fondant wrapped in dark chocolate has joined the 11 other Quality Street sweets at pick-and-mix stations across selected John Lewis stores in the UK.

They are also available in a limited-edition cracker at Waitrose and John Lewis stores for £5.50.

How to save money on chocolate

We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don’t have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

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Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

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Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

St James’s Place (SJP) recorded net inflows of £890m in the past quarter.

These sustained inflows, together with “positive investment performance”, have resulted in record funds under management of £184.4bn as of 30 September.

The UK’s largest wealth manager also recorded gross inflows of £4.4bn in the third quarter, 20% higher compared to the same period last year.

SJJP chief executive Mark FitzPatrick said the results “demonstrate the power of our business model and the trusted relationships our advisers enjoy with clients”.

FitzPatrick also said SJP continues to make progress on its cost and efficiency programme, its review of historic client servicing records and the implementation of its “new simple and comparable charging structure”.

“We are on track to implement the new charging structure by the second half of 2025, including tiering for both ongoing product and initial advice charges,” he said.

“Each of these key programmes is progressing in line with our plans and there is no change to our existing financial guidance.”

FitzPatrick added that while the macroeconomic environment has improved since the beginning of the year, there continues to be uncertainty in the outlook for consumers, savers and investors.

“While speculation around the forthcoming Autumn Budget compounds this, we know that our advisers are providing invaluable advice to our clients, helping them to navigate the uncertainty and safeguard their financial futures.

“With increasing client numbers, sustained net inflows and growing funds under management, our business is performing well and we are positioning for further long-term success.”

THOUSANDS of benefit claimants are entitled to free NHS prescriptions that can slash their medical expenses.

In England prescriptions cost £9.90 per item, but some benefits give claimants access to free NHS prescriptions.

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The flat prescription fee is designed to make necessary medication affordable, but if you are taking several prescriptions costs can quickly add up.

So, if you’re eligible, claiming your free prescriptions could make a big difference.

And in some cases the entitlement could also give you free access to over-the-counter remedies.

What benefits grant access to free prescriptions?

You will be entitled to free prescriptions if you or your partner receive:

• Income support
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Pension Credit (guarantee element)

You will also be entitled to free prescriptions if you receive Universal Credit and and your earnings for the most recent assessment period were £435 or less, or £935 or less if your claim included an element for a child, or if you have ‘limited capability for work’.

You could also be entitled to free NHS prescriptions if you receive tax credits and your annual family income is £15,276 or less. To claim you must be in receipt of:

• Child tax credit
• Working tax credit and child tax Ccedit paid together
• Working tax credit including a disability element

If you’re entitled to free NHS prescriptions your partner and any dependants under 20 will also be able to claim them.

How to apply?

If you’re automatically entitled you can use your award notice as proof.

When you receive your prescription there a boxes to tick identifying the benefit that grants your entitlement.

For example if you’re claiming through Universal Credit you should tick box ‘U’.

However the NHS has said that some prescriptions may not have a ‘U’ box, if this is the case select box ‘k’ for for income-based jobseeker’s allowance instead.

If you’re entitled to free prescriptions you will also be entitled to free over-the-counter remedies at participating pharmacies, following a consultation with a pharmacist.

Is other help available?

If you’re not automatically entitled to free NHS prescriptions, you may still be able to apply for help through the NHS Low Income Scheme.

If you’re on a low income you can apply for the scheme, as long as your savings or investments don’t exceed a certain value.

You cannot get help if you or your partner (or both) have more than: 

• £16,000 in savings, investments or property (not including the place where you live) 
• £23,250 in savings, investments or property if you live permanently in a care home (£24,000 if you live in Wales)

How much you will receive depends on your weekly income, outgoings as well as savings and investments.

If you are granted support, you may be able to apply for a refund for medical expenses already incurred.

Who else is entitled to free prescriptions

Other people entitled to free NHS prescriptions include:

• Those under 16 years old 
• Those who are 16, 17, or 18 years old and in full-time education 
• People who are 60 or older 
• People with a valid medical exemption certificate (MedEx) for a specified medical condition, such as diabetes, epilepsy, or cancer 
• Those with a valid maternity exemption certificate (MatEx)(issued as soon as your pregnancy is confirmed and valid until a year after birth)
• NHS inpatients
• People in receipt of a war pension exemption certificate and the prescription is for your disability

Other ways to save

Those ineligible for free prescriptions can still make savings by purchasing a Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC).

It’s essentially a season ticket, which you pay for once and can use to cover any prescriptions you need for one year.

You can also get them to cover three months.

A one-year PPC costs £111.60, while a three-month PPC will set you back £31.25.

You can buy them on the NHS Business Services Authority’s website or via a registered pharmacy.

The point at which you start saving money with the three-month PPC is after buying four or more prescriptions.

With the one-year PPC, you start making savings after 12 or more purchases.

So, if you need a lot of prescriptions every year, a PPC can definitely be worth your time.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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