Fake £1 coins

The number of counterfeit pound coins has doubled in the last five years and it is estimated that one in every 50 are now fake.

It is an offence to make or use counterfeit coins and the Royal Mint advise people to hand them in if they think they have one. But how can you tell?

It will be dependant upon the quality of the fake, but usually counterfeit coins are a slightly different colour, dull or even dirty, poorly defined ribbed edges with a blurry design or a blurry bust of the Queen.

You can also check for fakes by examining the alignment of the coin. Hold it between your thumb and index finger so the Queen’s head is upright and facing you. Then spin the coin horizontally and the pattern on the reverse should also be upright (see image). Fakes will often be at an angle.

The Royal Mint's online design portfolio can also be used to easily identify what's genuine and what's not. Since they were introduced in 1983, the design on the reverse of the coins has changed every year. Often the year and the design do not correspond on a fake.

But ultimately, how easy it is to identify a fake comes down to its quality and the good news is the fakes are getting worse, according to some experts.