AN unsettling mystery is unfolding as a number of British coins have been found with Nazi symbols stamped on them.

A horrified shopper spotted a swastika on Queen Elizabeth's head on a 50p, in an odd wave of findings the Royal Mint says it is aware of.

6 One person found an eagle - a Nazi symbol - stamped on a 1997 50p coin

6 Another person found the same symbol on a £2 coin

6 This 50p coin had a swastika and a Nazi eagle daubed onto Queen Elizabeth's face

Some people believe a Second World War enthusiast is stamping the coins at home and then putting them back into circulation.

Others have found similar offensive motifs on £2 and 50p coins.

A 1997 coin was adorned with the Nazi Party’s eagle symbol, known as a Reichsadler and used between 1935 and 1945.

Another 50p discovered in July 2015 was stamped with a bird carrying a Swastika and on the other side the initials SS - representing the Nazi paramilitary Schutzstaffel group.

The Mint’s currency security technical expert, Scott Kuperus, said: ”The Royal Mint strongly disapproves of the defacing of coins in this way, as such action could bring into question the integrity of the United Kingdom coinage.

“Doing so is often counterproductive as the defaced coins are quickly removed from circulation.”

6 This coin has 'SS' embossed on it - representing the Nazi paramilitary Schutzstaffel group

6

Nicola Harrison, 37, posted a snap of her eerie 50p coin on Facebook at the weekend to ask if anyone else had seen one.

She said she was now too scared to spend it in case she gets arrested.

Nicola was given it in change after she bought a drink with a £5 note at a petrol station in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

She said: “I have never seen a coin with this on.

“I don’t like what it represents at all. My first thought was how has someone managed to get away with this?”

And the coin isn’t the first to be spotted doing the rounds.

Another coin collector said he’d found the symbols on a £2 coin he received in Coventry the same year and wrote about it on a coin collecting website.

He said: “I received a £2 coin in my change today and noticed the Queen’s face has been defaced.

“It has been stamped with an eagle stood upon the swastika and also has SS on the back. Is this illegal?”

6

Similar coins have been found in Germany, where Nazi symbols are illegal.

Earlier this year, a €2 coin was discovered at a restaurant in the city of Neuss stamped with banned imperial eagles and a swastika.

Luke Hearn, of UK change collection website Change Checker, said the doctored coins were worthless because of their evil associations.

He said: “This is the first I’ve seen of this and hopefully the last.

“Being very honest, I can’t imagine these being worth anything as I can’t believe there’s anyone who’d want to buy them.”

On a thread on the subject, posted on chat site Reddit, one coin enthusiast said: “They have a custom stamp made and they must have just struck it with a hammer because it flattened the other side whereas a press would have supported the back.

“Someone out there is pretty dedicated, and I'd like to know which manufacturer would create a Nazi stamp. Pretty interesting.”

Earlier this year a chest that could contain £100million of Nazi gold was found in the wreck of a German cargo ship.

A Brit crew spotted the trove in the post room of the SS Minden, scuttled off Iceland.

MOST READ IN NEWS Exclusive 'HE'S DEVASTATED' Kyle Walker 'furious' after fiancée admits to lockdown fling with toyboy SCARED WHITTY-LESS UK faces coronavirus disaster, top scientists will warn in TV message XMAS 'GIFT' PM to consider lifting 'rule of six' on Xmas so families can celebrate together CHRISTMAS COME EARLY Mum slammed over 'ridiculous' Xmas gift haul for 'spoilt' daughter, 2 HOME TIME New London lockdown 'can't be ruled out' with people working from home 'in days' BABY HORROR Man 'cut open pregnant wife's stomach to check baby's gender as he wanted son'

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.