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Media Misinformation About Coins Including Gold Coins
Just a small selection of the erroneous and misleading press comments and news items about coins in general, and gold coins in particular.

Sunday Mercury
Pregnant Birmingham Mum Finds 20p Coins Which Could Fetch £14,000
When we saw this, we got slightly excited as we assumed from the headline that she had found a mint or bank bag of them. When we read the rest of the article, we were deflated to discover that she had found two of them, and the £14,000 valuation was based on a previous inaccurate media story that one had sold on eBay for £7,000.

Pregnant Birmingham mum finds 20p coins which could fetch £14,000
Oct 24 2010 by Ben Goldby, Sunday Mercury A SINGLE mum could pocket £14,000 after discovering two rare 20p coins – including one given in her change after buying a LOSING lottery scratchcard.
The Royal Mint produced the dateless coinage in 2008 and only a limited number are now in circulation.
Yet pregnant Birmingham mum Sabrina Hussain has managed to find TWO of the rare pieces – which have previously sold on internet auction site eBay for £7,100 each.
One was given to her in change after buying a losing scratchcard – and she discovered the other in the bottom of her handbag.
Sabrina, 22 and from Winson Green, said: “I saw a story in the paper about a year ago about these rare 20p pieces.
“I emptied my handbag then and found the first one at the bottom, but decided against selling straight away.
“Then a couple of weeks ago I was at a corner shop buying a scratchcard and there was another undated 20p in my change. I couldn’t believe it, the scratchcard didn’t win, but I’d got another rare coin! It was amazing.
“I went back into the store and told all the staff who were gutted that they hadn’t found it. But I was over the moon.”
Last year one of the rare dateless coins sold on eBay for £7,100.
Sabrina, mum to two year-old daughter Skye, said: “I heard that they were going for a lot of money, so I’ve decided to get them properly valued by a professional.
‘‘I may sell one but I may also keep the other until my daughter is 18 – just imagine what it might be worth then.”
But expert Dave Harris from Birmingham Coins, based in Acocks Green, said Sabrina should sell the two 20p pieces now while they are popular.
“My advice would be to put these up on eBay and let people bid for them on the internet,” he said.
“There’s no guarantee how much these will be worth in the future, if anyone could tell that they’d be a millionaire.
“But my opinion is that these coins are valuable because they have had an air of mystery about them created by publicity, and that now is as good a time as any to cash in.”
And Peter Viola, an expert numismatist from the Warwick Antiques Centre, said: “She should strike now while the iron is hot.
“The best way to get value for money is to put them up for sale on the internet, because a lot of dealers have been overwhelmed with them.”
Big-hearted Sabrina says she would spend any windfall on looking after her young family, as well as donating some cash to charity.
“If they did turn out to be worth thousands, I’d look after my mum and my kids first,” she said.
“I would give some to the local children’s hospice and if I could afford it I would buy the house we’re living in.
“If there was enough to spoil myself, I’d go on holiday to Dubai. It looks fantastic over there.”
ben.goldby

Good Story - Shame About the Truth!
We sent an e-mail to the journalist, with a copy to the editor:

Dear Sirs,
We know it is a tradition for the media to mis-report stories or spin them to make headlines more interesting, and probably help sell more papers, but we believe it is irresponsible to compound and perpetuate urban myth and utter trash.
We found it interesting that one person found two of the rare (ish) mule twenty pences, but disappointing to find you repeating the same inaccurate information about their value.
You might as well say that one of the coins sold for £1 million on eBay.
"It was reported in one headline that a twenty pence had sold for £7,000; another quoted £7,100. (#330341158384); yet another enterprising seller "sold" one for £1 million (#130316015333)."
If you care to learn more you could read one of our informational pages about these coins and the silly rumours:
http://www.24carat.co.uk/twentypenceundatedbuyselladvice.html
Your local expert Dave Harris gave you reasonably good advice, but last time we spoke to him, he offered to sell us as many of these mules as we like at £30 each. We did not take him up on the offer.
We don't know whether you asked him about their value, but if you had, we reckon his valuation would be consistent with what he told us.
You could get a second opinion from your other local expert Gary Charman of Format Coins. We have not spoken to him for several years now, but we would be willing to bet say £7,000 that his value would be closer to £30 than £7,000.
Both the dealers mentioned are our competitors, but we have great respect for their expert, knowledge, and integrity.
Regards,
Lawrence Chard
Chard (1964) Limited
32 - 36 Harrowside
Blackpool
FY4 1RJ
England, UK.
Tel 0044 (0)1253 343081
Fax 0044 (0)1253 408058
www.chards.co.uk

Anybody at Home?
Two days afterwards, we had received no thanks or reply from the Sunday Mercury, and conclude that the would prefer to peddle cheap sensational down-market trash than honest accurate information.

Pregnant Birmingham Mum Finds 20p Coins Which Could Fetch £14,000

Pregnant Birmingham Mum Finds 20p Coins Which Could Fetch £14,000

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