The new 12-sided £1 coin is supposed to be virtually indestructible but faults in the new quid have seen the middle piece fall out – and some have even melted.

Other defects have seen the bronze and silver colours run into each other while some have ended up misshapen.

There are expected to be 1.5bn new pound coins – dubbed ‘the most secure in the world’ – in circulation by October.

New £1 coin
New £1 coin

But just two months after the first 12-sided pounds rolled out of the Royal Mint and into circulation complaints about the quality of the coins have already been raised.

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One recipient of a dodgy coin told the Mirror: “It is all melted and out of shape.”

A spokesman for the Royal Mint said: “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.”