Do you have any 20p coins like the above in your possession?
Thousands of Brits with a new 20p in their pockets could find themselves £50 richer after a mix-up at the Royal Mint.
Around 200,000 of the coins have rocketed in value after the manufacturer admitted it had forgotten to put a date on them. Read the full article
here.
I will be looking at any
new 20p coins I get with keen interest from now on!
Vocabulary Note
If someone is "minted" it means they are very rich.
The meaning of the word "mint"
–noun 1. | a place where coins, paper currency, special medals, etc., are produced under government authority. |
2. | a place where something is produced or manufactured |
3. | a vast amount, esp. of money: He made a mint in oil wells. |
–adjective 4. | Philately. (of a stamp) being in its original, unused condition. |
5. | unused or appearing to be newly made and never used: a book in mint condition. |
–verb (used with object) 6. | to make (coins, money, etc.) by stamping metal. |
7. | to turn (metal) into coins: to mint gold into sovereigns. |
8. | to make or fabricate; invent: to mint words. |
Origin:
bef. 900; ME
mynt, OE
mynet coin < class="ital-inline">monēta coin, mint, after the temple of Juno
Monēta, where Roman money was coined
2 comments:
When i was about 13 there were , probably still are, these books that listed all the versions of pennies, tanners, bobs,half crowns etc that were worth something as collector pieces - because they had certain initials minted onto the coin, or they were limited productions etc.
I trawled through my pockets, my piggy bank, my parents pockets, my sister's piggy bank, i raided the neighbours etc etc.
Nothing.
The money in my pocket was always worth what it said in my pocket.
The same thing happened with stamps - as soon as i turned up at the collectors shop it was "No sorry, the condition isn't good enough"
I couldn't sell any.
Anyhow - why do we have all these nick names for pre-decimal British currency and not post?
I wish I knew the answer! I have a 1950s threepence coin hidden away in a box somewhere. I'll hold on to it for nostalgia's sake.
Post a Comment