Image Credit: Alexander Ridler

Is it not annoying when you put a pound coin in a vending or games machine, only for the coin to be spat back at you?

Even scratching the surface of the coin does not seem to get the coin accepted!

This week the Royal Mint announced an explanation for this, claiming that an estimated 1 in 50 pound coins in circulation are fakes.

Forgers produce the coins and sell them on through organised crime syndicates for between 50p and 70p. Under the 1981 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act, forging coins carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

So how can you tell if the pound coin in your pocket is completely worthless?

There are many ways you can spot a fake pound coin. The most obvious way is to check if the Queen's head and the design on the reverse are both upright.

Also, many faked coins also have the incorrect Latin inscription on the side for the year that the coin was issued.

So, the next time you find your change won't work in a machine at least you can feel some sort of pleasure in knowing that you haven't broken the law by using fake money