We’ve barely recovered from the excitement of checking every £5 note that comes our way for a glimpse of the rare Jane Austen doodle that could make it worth a whopping £50,000 (especially since there’s still one of the original four waiting to be discovered).

And now we’re going to be extra cautious about spending any of those new one pound coins, too, with the news that “rare” versions of the coin are selling for up to £549 on eBay.

The rare pounds in question are the 200,000 “dummy” pounds that were handed out to various retailers months before the official launch of the new coin last month, to give them time to update their coin-handling machinery.

Despite The Telegraph reporting The Royal Mint had said the coins had “no redeemable value”, they are being sold for a considerable profit on eBay, as collectors and coin-fanatics alike bid to secure a piece of history.

Read more: Your new £5 note might be worth £50,000

So how can you tell if you have one of the rare pound coins?

According to owners, the rare ones are stamped with the “wrong” date – 2016 rather than 2017 – as they were made last year.

So next time you’re in possession of the 12-sided pound coin, make sure you double check the date before you spend it, as you could be quids in (sorry).

Images: iStock