Some rare euro coins

Rare euro coins that could be worth a fortune - check your change for these hidden gems

by · Irish Mirror

Coin hoarders - it's time to rejoice. Your jar of change could potentially be worth thousands of euros if you happen to have one of these particularly rare copper coins.

While your summer holiday probably seem like a distant memory at this stage of the year, it is possible you might have unknowingly brought back a valuable, collectable coin if you travelled in Europe.

Even if you have never travelled abroad, thanks to the nature of the EU free movement, currency produced in other countries is just as likely to end up in Ireland as it is anywhere else.

So, could you possibly have one of these rare coins? It's time to open up the piggy bank and take a look at the photos below.

The Italian 1c coin that fetched more than €6,000

Back in 2002, the Zecca di Stato - the Italian institute responsible for producing coins, passports and postage stamps for Italy - mistakenly stamped a few thousand 1 cent Italian coins on 2 cent blanks (meaning they used the wrong coin size).

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These "fault error" coins featured Turin's Mole Antonelliana on the reverse, instead of the 13th-century citadel Castel del Monte in Puglia that usually graces the back.

The Italian 1c coin that fetched more than €6,000(Image: Image: Coin Collection Market)

Despite attempts by Italian authorities to recall the coins, some of them remained out in circulation, eventually finding their way back to auction houses where coin collecting enthusiasts bid thousands for the 1 cent.

In a 2013 auction, one of these rare coins sold for a whopping €6,600, having been driven up from its €2,500 starting value by eager hobbyists.

The Greek €2 with a Finnish twist

While the Greek €2 coin, with a mintage of 75m, is quite common, some of these coins have a unique feature that can increase their value to over €1,000 on platforms like eBay.

The Greek €2 with a Finnish twist(Image: Image: eBay)

The coin showcases a mosaic scene, a Spartan depiction of the princess Europa being kidnapped by the god Zeus in bull form, which has been present on every Greek €2 coin since Greece joined the bloc in 2001.

Interestingly, a handful of these Greek coins were actually minted in Finland and bear a small star at the bottom with an 'S' in the centre. The 'S' represents Suomi, the Finnish term for Finland.

This minor detail significantly boosts the coin's worth, with some collectors ready to pay four figures for one.

A commemorative Finnish coin worth a pretty penny

A commemorative Finnish coin also holds considerable value. Finland became part of the EU in 2004, a year that saw the largest expansion of the bloc since its inception as ten new Member States were added.

A commemorative Finnish coin worth a pretty penny(Image: Image: eBay)

However, out of these ten nations, only Finland chose to create a commemorative coin to mark the occasion. With only one million of these coins minted, they can now command around €80 on auction sites.

The Grace Kelly coin that fetches thousands online

Another coin that fetches a high price online is the Grace Kelly coin. In 2007, Monaco issued a limited edition €2 coin featuring the profile of its former Princess, actress Grace Kelly, on one side. The coin was released to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Kelly's death in a tragic car crash in 1982.

Check your piggy bank(Image: Getty Images)

Only 20,001 coins were minted in total, with 20,000 for distribution and one gifted to Kelly's son, Prince Albert II of Monaco. This makes it the rarest commemorative €2 coin produced between 2007 and 2014.

Each coin was sold for a hefty €120 at the time. Despite the initial high price, any savvy collector who snapped one up can now flog the coin for nearly €4,000.

However, it's highly unlikely you'll find this coin lurking in an old winter coat pocket due to its rarity and the unique circumstances under which it was sold.

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