Now there's a 5 CENT coin worth $2000: Collector sells his rare double- headed 'mule' for thousands - and there's another 699 in circulation 

• The Australian 5c piece could be worth thousands more than its face value
• A coin collector discovered a 'doubled headed' coin which was minted in 2007
• Steve Troha found the coin after getting change from a Surry Hills coffee shop
• There is less than one thousand of the rare coin in circulation across Australia

Most Australians toss aside the pesky 5c pieces they find tucked into the corners of wallets and stuck in between the couch.

But the tiny coin could be worth upwards of $2000 dollars if it has the rare markings that eagle-eyed collectors are on the lookout for.

Coin collector Steve Troha from Town Hall Coins & Collectables stumbled upon a 2007 5c Double Heads piece when paying for his coffee in Surry Hills.

Mr Troha sold the rare coin - which has the Queen's head showing on both sides - for $1000 and it was then sold again for $2000.

The coin was minted accidentally with the reverse and obverse having the same design, and Mr Troha said only about 600 to 700 pieces like this escaped the mint.

'This coin was struck in 2007 and was first discovered in 2008 in change from a coffee shop on Commonwealth Street near the old Billy Hydes Drum Craft', Mr Troha told Daily Mail Australia. 

'The first example sold privately for $1,000 in Uncirculated quality and that same example sold soon after for $2,000. More were discovered a few months later around the Sydney CBD area and the Balmain/Rozelle area.'

Mr Troha said it is likely that the Royal Australian Mint discovered the error shortly after dispatching the coins and they were all sent to the same area in NSW. 

He said: 'They have scarcely been found outside of NSW due to natural circulation patterns. Having come across 20 to 30 examples since 2008, I’d estimate a mintage of just under a thousand coins.'

'This is hard to pin down due to the 5c being a neglected coin. The exciting part of that is many people have jars of 5c lying around and it is definitely worthwhile having a check through these.'

Rare 'error' coins like Mr Troha's double head piece can also be found on eBay for hundreds of dollars.

Coin collectors are willing to pay a high price for coins that were damaged in the minting process, with one even selling for $4000.

One coin which was stuck the wrong way during mintage is selling online for $490 and a similar 5c piece is on eBay for $149.

 The $1/10c mule coin, created in 2000, is also worth much more than its face value, with some being sold for more than $2,700 on eBay, according to coin collectors.

The coin must bear the 2000 date and is thicker than usual with a double rim on the Queen's side of the coin because of a mix-up at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra, according to the Australian Coin Collecting Blog.

'The mule was made when a technician at the Mint in Canberra accidentally paired the mob of 'roos dollar reverse with the Queen's head obverse, normally used for the 10 cent piece,' the blog clarified.

Asking prices on eBay range from $980 to $8,500 but the final auction prices for the coin appear to range from $400 to $2,742.

'The value of your rare coin will now depend on the condition after spending 17 years in circulation some coins are more valuable than others,' the Australian Coin Collecting Blog said.

The coin's error was not realised until a year or two after it was released into circulation, and coin collectors claim they picked up on it in 2003.

'The majority of the 2000 $1 / 10 cent Mules were sent to Perth, where in 2003 and 2004 there was a frenzy of ‘mule’ hunting in the local casino and lots of dollar coins were withdrawn from Perth banks,' collectors said in 2009.

'The ‘mule’ hunt has slowed in the last few years as the number available in circulation is slowly reduced and diluted around the rest of Australia.'

'But, the mules are still out there to be found by those willing to look.'