Professional Coin Grading Service recently reviewed a scarce 2022 British silver coin with an unintended pairing of obverse and reverse designs. This drastic error coin arose when an obverse die from a British 2022 £2 coin was incorrectly mated in the press with the reverse of a 2022 £5 coin. The two silver coins are identical in diameter.

The obverse of both the 2022 British silver £2 coin and the silver £5 coin sports a portrait of King Charles III, while the reverse of the former shows a bust of an older Queen Elizabeth II, and the reverse of the latter carries a vignette design showing the monarch in both her younger and more mature years.

The £2 obverse die, which differs from the £5 coin die only in the legend describing the coin’s denomination, was used in striking a very small number of coins with the £5 reverse.

“After the death of Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the Royal Mint struck a variety of commemorative coins honoring the fallen monarch,” explained PCGS President Stephanie Sabin. “Among these coins were two silver pieces denominated as £2 and £5, both of which were of identical diameter and carry similar-looking obverse designs. We don’t know how many of these mule errors were produced with the £2 obverse and £5 reverse. However, this is only the second known example.”

This most recent discovery arrived at Rocky Mountain Coin in Denver, Colorado, and upon the suggestion of company president and manager Klaus J. Degler, was submitted to PCGS for certification. “The coin was from the British Mint, and they discovered that [the error] didn’t have the same obverse as the [normal £5] had” said Degler. “They came to me, and I said we need to get that certified, as it’s a mule.”

PCGS graded the piece Proof 70 Deep Cameo and labeled it “2022 Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Mule Young and Mature Busts £2 (£5),” and Sabin said, “We were thrilled when Klaus and Rocky Mountain Coin entrusted encapsulation of this very rare modern mule with PCGS.”

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