Roy Wright believes his partner was given a fake £1 coin in change when shopping at a Co-op store in Surrey after he identified little differences with the original one.

Mr Wright told the Sun: “The coin is completely different and is more rounded around the edge.

“There is clearly space between the engraving lines, it’s a different size, the Queen’s head is to the left, and there is no detail of the head of the thistle – it’s just a blob.

“The stem of the coin has got no detail on it, there are a lot of things wrong with it.”

Mr Wright also reportedly said the coin was heavier and had no hologram.

A spokesperson for the Royal Mint told The Independent that is has not had an opportunity to examine the coin, but the organisation remains "confident" that it is not counterfeit.

"We are not aware of any counterfeits entering circulation but welcome the public’s caution," the Royal Mint said.

"The organisation produces around five billion coins each year, and will be striking 1.5bn new £1 coins in total. As you would expect, we have tight quality controls in place, however variances will always occur in a small number of coins, particularly in the striking process, due to the high volumes and speed of production," it added.

After almost 34 years in circulation, the old £1 coin, which is still in circulation, has become increasingly vulnerable to sophisticated counterfeiters. An estimated one in 30 of those pound coins is fake, according to the Royal Mint.

The 12-sided coin boasts new security features, which include a hologram-like image that changes from a £ symbol to the number one when the coin is seen from different angles. Around 1.5 billion of the new coins are being struck.

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More than 200,000 “trial coins”, were issued to businesses and retailers in preparation for the official release on 28 March and collectors are now desperate to get their hands on them, even though the Royal Mint has made clear that these coins don't have legal tender status and have no redeemable value.