A coin collector who was arrested after trying to use a £100 coin to buy petrol has won a £5,000 ($6,887) payout.
Brett Chamberlain, from Tiverton, Devon, was accused of leaving without paying after filling his car with £60 ($82) of diesel at a Tesco Extra in Exeter in July last year.
The 54-year-old said he was then 'interrogated' at a police station before being released under investigation, with a subsequent letter stating that he wouldn't be charged.
Staff at the Tesco believed the dad-of-four was trying to pay with fake money; however, he was in fact using the Trafalgar Square special edition coin, 45,000 of which were minted in 2016.
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Following the mix up, the carpenter took legal action, and this month he received notice of his damages.
According to The Sun, Brett said: "They interrogated me. They wanted to prosecute me for using Royal Mint coins.
"You couldn't make it up. I was trying to spend money like any other citizen. I always use the coins to buy my fuel.
"Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury's have taken them but Tesco are always difficult."
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Collector Brett plans to spend his payout on - you guessed it - more coins.
Shops and banks do not have to accept the large denomination coins, and Tesco said it will not accept commemorative coins.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We have taken steps to recognise and rectify the issues raised in this case."
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In the summer, a company in the Philippines had its permit suspended after paying a man's wages in coins.
Vice reported that labourer Russel Mañosa was paid for two days work at the NexGreen Enterprise factory with gigantic bags of coins.
His cousin posted a series of photos on Facebook that showed the cash in dozens of plastic bags.
The post got the attention of Mayor Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela City. He met with Mañosa and the company, and Mañosa reportedly said the factory's cashier told him to swap the large amount of coins at a bank.
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Company representative Jasper Cheng So claimed it was a mistake that led to the employee being paid off with coins and they weren't intended for him.
Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III subsequently ordered an investigation into the company and Mayor Gatchalian suspended its business permit.
Topics: UK News