1980 Elizabeth II Ten Pence Mis-Strike on an 8-gram Nickel Flan, a truly remarkable anomaly that stands as a testament to the complexity and intrigue of modern minting. Intended as an ordinary ten pence, this coin instead emerged from The Royal Mint’s presses struck on an oversized nickel planchet weighing approximately 8 grams, considerably heavier than the standard cupro-nickel issue of its era.

The obverse features Arnold Machin’s elegant and authoritative portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, crowned and facing right, accompanied by the customary inscription. On the reverse, Christopher Ironside’s familiar heraldic depiction of a crowned lion rampant, a symbol of British pride and dignity, commands the flan with bold relief, yet the overlarge size and unusual metal lend this coin an unexpected and unmistakable distinction.

Numismatic mis-strikes of this nature are exceedingly scarce; few survive from any era, and even fewer from the decimal coinage period, when production controls were at their most rigorous. Every facet of this coin’s appearance, from the pronounced raised rim to the tactile weight in hand, marks it instantly as a prized curiosity and a conversation piece for the collector. Such an error leaves no two specimens exactly alike. This ten pence mis-strike, struck in 1980 at the height of national change and innovation, demonstrates that even the most time-honoured mechanisms of The Royal Mint can give rise to the unexpected!