Rare King George V penny to fetch up to £115,000 at auction
It's been described as one of the rarest coins of the 20th century.
A rare 1933 penny is expected to sell for a world record £115,000 at auction.
The coin is one of only seven coins created by the Royal Mint in that year and is said to be one of the rarest coins of the 20th century.
With a King George V bust on one side and Britannia on the other, the coin's sale has been described by the auction house as a “once in a generation opportunity”.
As there were enough pennies in circulation in 1933, the Royal Mint had no need to produce more.
However, to mark the year, special requests were made for a small number of commemorative coins to be produced.
It's believed only seven were struck, of which three are currently owned by private collectors.
A collector's dream
This particular coin, which is in excellent condition, has been in private hands in America since the 1980s and ‘90s, but was once owned by renowned coin collectors Henry and Emery Norweb.
The coin will go on sale at Heritage Auctions.
Cristiano Bierrenbach from the auction house said: “We know about seven of these exist and there are thought to be three in private hands.
“This is the most desirable and sought-after British coin.
“Pennies have a great collector appeal. It's usually something people start collecting in childhood but they would all have an empty space for the 1933 penny.
“There are certain coins that are really charismatic in the collecting world and for the 20th century this is really a special item.
“This one hasn't shown up at auction for 25 years or more and it could be another 25 years before it comes up again.
“It's a once in a generation opportunity.”
The coin will be sold in Dallas, Texas on August 11.
Everyone loves a rare penny
Earlier this year, one of only four 1933 pattern prototypes created came under the hammer, fetching the world-record breaking £72,000 at London auction house Baldwin’s.
The coin was presented as a prototype for the 1933 penny but never made it to production.
Image: Heritage Auctions
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