How to find rare Australian 20c coin with wavy baseline that is worth up to $4000
How to find the tiny detail in a rare 20 cent coin that makes it worth up to $4,000
- Collectors seek 20c coin with a ‘wavy baseline’
- The misprinted coin is valued between $250 and $4,000
A Perth-based TikToker and currency expert has revealed the tiny detail on a rare 20c coin that could lead to eye-watering prizes of up to $4,000.
Joel Kandiah, whose video has been viewed more than 46,000 times, has urged Aussies to ’empty (their) coin pots’ and look at one of the special coins.
According to Mr Kandiah, who uses @thehistoryofmoney on TikTok, the coin could be worth between $250 and $4,000 – a whopping 20,000 times its face value.
“Find a 1966 20 cent coin and flip it face down,” Mr. Kandiah said.
“Look at the bottom of number two – at the top of the base, if it’s wavy, you’re going to make money.”
A rare 20 cent coin (above) valued between $250 and $4,000 has a wave on the bottom line of the ‘2’
About half of the Australian 20c coins made in 1966 were minted by the Royal Mint in London, where one of the tail dies used was damaged and updated, resulting in the distinctive ‘wave’ pattern on number two.
The 1996 wavy baseline 20c is still Australia’s most sought after rare 20c coin.
The coins are still in circulation, with one person on TikTok noting that they had three of the rare coins.
Mr Kandiah also pointed out that cleaning a rare coin can reduce its value to a collector.
Collectors are often willing to pay thousands of dollars more than the face value of a note or coin, depending on factors such as date and condition.
The Australian 20c coin was first introduced with decimal currency in 1966, with Stuart Devlin’s platypus design remaining unchanged until 1995.
About half of the Australian 20c coins made in 1966 have the ‘wavy baseline’ (shown, comparing the rare coin to a normal 20c coin)
It replaced the florin, a coin worth two shillings or one-tenth of a pound.
The platypus remains the default design for the reverse, except for commemorative designs, while there are four different designs for the obverse on the coin.
Queen Elizabeth II, Raphael Maklouf (a British sculptor) and Jody Clark (a British engraver employed by the Royal Mint whose portrait of the Queen appeared on Australian dollar coins) have all appeared on the 20 cent coin.