It's the little things in life that can bring the most joy.

Sometimes, they bring in a little extra cash!

For our eagle-eyed members, there could be fortune hiding in your coin jars, pockets, or wallets.

The often-overlooked 5c coin could be worth up to a staggering $70 thanks to a quirky defect.

According to coin collector and expert Michael McCauley, this defect is called the 'flamingo error'.

Mr McCauley brought this flaw to the public's attention.

Mr McCauley pointed out the subtle 'flamingo error' found in certain 5c coins. Image Credit: TikTok/Coin Collecting Detecting

He noted that some 5c coins minted in 2001 are worth more due to this unique minting mistake.

The 'flamingo error' is characterised by a small, additional piece of metal found on the tail end of the number 5 on the coin.

When viewed in the right light, this could resemble a flamingo's beak—hence the name.

It's a subtle manufacturing error, but to collectors, it's a delightful find that adds value to an ordinary coin.

McCauley mentioned on a social media post that these coins have recently been sold between $37.80 and $70.

While the 2001 coins were the ones commonly found with this error, the 'flamingo error' has also been spotted on 5c coins minted in 2002, 2003, and 2005.

However, these iterations of the coins were rarer and could fetch higher prices.

Around 174.6 million 5c coins were minted in 2001, but an unknown number of coins had the 'flamingo error'.

The Royal Australian Mint has not yet commented on the 'flamingo error'.

This isn't the first time an ordinary coin turned out to be a collector's item.

Last May, an NSW man sold a 5c coin for a whopping $2,000.

The coin had the late Queen Elizabeth II's effigy on both sides.

The images were rotated 180 degrees from each other—different from the standard design where the pictures on each face are aligned the same way up.

Watch Mr McCauley's explanation video about the 'flamingo error' here:

Source: @coincollecting_detecting/TikTok​

It's time to put on your reading glasses and start examining your coins.

Who knows? You might have one of these rare 'flamingo error' coins in your possession.

If you do find one, you could either keep it as a charming conversation piece or sell it to a collector for a tidy sum.

Key Takeaways

• Victorian coin collector Michael McCauley highlighted a 'flamingo error' on some Australian 5c coins, which could make them worth up to $70 each.
• The 'flamingo error' involved an extra piece of metal on the tail end of the number five on coins minted in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005.
• A specific 5c coin from 2001 with the error has been selling between $37.80 and $70.
• It's estimated that 174.6 million 5c coins were minted in 2001, but it's unclear how many of these feature the 'flamingo error'.

Have any of you found rare coins among your change before? We'd love to hear your stories! Share them with us in the comments section below!

 

[Wandiwa]

It's quite uncommon to get a 5c coin in your change nowadays.

 

[Veggiepatch]

It's quite uncommon to get a 5c coin in your change nowadays.

Not for me!

At the local Kmart self serve checkout earlier in the year, I received 85 cents in change, all in 5 cent pieces.

The following week, my ever growing collection of 5 cent pieces were returned to Kmart during a purchase.

All $2.90 of them! Placed in the coin acceptor one at a time. SLOWLY!

I was a real hit with other waiting customers and staff alike. Who cares? I DON"T!

 

[Reet]

I had two new coins in change this week. They are both two dollar coins with King Charles III on them and dated 2024. Have put them aside as I thought the new coins with King Charles on them were not being released until next year. This is the first time I have received coins for the year in which they are minted.

 

[novezar]

I have quite a lot, & various coins of what I thought could have been interesting to keep. After watching a couple of these "Rare Coin" shows, I recognised some which I had that were were highlighted.
I sorted some of them out & took them to a gold & coin outlet. On examination by them, I was informed that what I had was just worth the "Face" value only.
So, so much for finding something of value.

What I do have, is, a half gold sovereign which my mum gave one of each to us 3 children. The original value for these was 10 shillings. So, I reckon that if I took that to the same outlet, they'd probably offer me $1 for it.
An interesting fact of life about the full & half gold sovereigns, was, where the Chinese population were notorious at the time, shaved the edged rim off them to resell those trimmings for the gold value. Hence they lost quite a lot their value as such.

 

[Towing]

Extra coins get very heavy in your purse / wallet / handbag too. I put them in a locked away money box and use them at a later date. My Mum was probably one of the rare women that never kept all sorts of old or new unnecessary things in her handbag but sometimes complained that it was heavy. I discovered she had a lot of coins in her purse.