A man in the UK made a surprising discovery at a flea market recently. He purchased a coin from the year 1806 with over 200 years of history for just 20 pence (approximately 25 cents), not realizing its true value was about a hundred times more.
According to a report by “Newsweek,” Reddit user JoeTheGimp shared that he bought the coin at a flea market in Huddersfield for 20 pence, even though it had a hole in it. He had never seen a coin like this before.
He told “Newsweek,” “I had never seen a coin like this, it looks really interesting. It turns out it is a 1806 Bahamian penny, minted in Birmingham, UK, to commemorate Captain Woodes Rogers defeating pirates.”
The bronze coin features a ship with the word “Bahamas” and the Latin phrase “Expulsis Piratis Restituta Commercia” (meaning “Pirates Expelled, Commerce Restored”), with the portrait of King George III on the other side.
The man’s post sparked interest and comments from other internet users. Some remarked, “This coin has a great history; it’s rare to see ‘pirates’ on a coin.” Others congratulated him on his new collectible. Some even called it an epic find for just 25 cents!
Jesse Kraft, Assistant Curator at the American Numismatic Society, confirmed to “Newsweek” that the man’s historical knowledge was essentially correct. He mentioned that such coins have been sold for over £200 (about $250), but due to the hole in this specific coin, its value is estimated at about £20 (around $25).
Kraft explained that Rogers was twice appointed Governor of the Bahamas and successfully drove out pirates from the islands in 1718. To commemorate this, the Birmingham mint produced 120,000 of these coins for circulation in the local area.
He further detailed that while the obverse of the coin (portrait of King George III) matches the British coins of 1806, the reverse design is unique to the Bahamas.
The inscription “Expulsis Piratis Restituta Commercia” on the back of the coin was the official motto of the Bahamas from 1728 to 1973.
Ancient coins like this often hold a value far beyond their face value and can fetch exorbitant prices at auctions.
In a previous report by “Epoch Times,” it was mentioned that in 2019, a rare 125-year-old dime was auctioned in Chicago for $1.32 million. The buyer was Dell Loy Hansen, a businessman from Utah and owner of a football club in Salt Lake City.
Experts at the auction house revealed that the dime from 1894 is considered one of the rarest American coins because only 24 were minted that year, and to date, only 9 are known to exist.