A LUCKY Bridgwater grandmother bagged a precious penny – and is now looking to make her fortune.

Tania Simmonite, from Bell Close, found an unusual one-pence piece in the till at her Say Cheese work place in the town’s Cornhill market a few years ago.

Now, after reading about the keenly sought after dateless 20p pieces in her Mercury, Tania may sell her colourless 2003 coin to the highest bidder.

She told the Mercury: “I was really surprised when I found the penny in the till in work a few years ago.

“I phoned the Royal Mint who said they would look at it – and they confirmed it was genuine, sending me a letter telling me how it came about.

“But I haven’t a clue what it’s worth.”

The Royal Mint explained the coin’s appearance resulted from a minting error when it slipped past the copper-plating process.

It then somehow eluded the Royal Mint’s inspection procedure and found its way into circulation.

Tania added: “I have kept it wrapped up in a bit of tissue but at my age now I might be tempted to sell.”

Jeffrey Day, a coin specialist at Lawrences auctioneers, said: “If the undated 20ps were selling for thousands of pounds then this coin has to be rarer.

“But there is no way of knowing how many of these are in circulation and the only way of finding out its true value is at auction.”