16 rare and most valuable coins in the UK

Rare and valuable UK coins wanted by collectors

• 1937 Edward VIII Gold Sovereign – £1.65m
• 1839 Victoria Gold Proof “Una and the Lion” 5 Pounds – £1m
• 1703 Queen Anne VIGO 5 Guineas – £855,000
• 1663 Charles II Silver Pattern “Petition” Crown – £752,000
• 1662 Charles II Gold Proof Pattern Crown – £565,000
• 1773 George III Gold Proof Pattern 5 Guineas – £544,000
• 1973 EEC Fifty Pence Coin – £3,000
• 1994 Elizabeth II Bank of England 300^th Anniversary Two Pound Coin – £2,500
• 2012 London Olympics Aquatics Fifty Pence – £1,500
• 1996 Elizabeth II European Championships Gold Proof Two Pound Coin 1996 – £790
• 1983 Two Pence “New Pence” Coin – £500
• 2015 Silver Two Pence Coin – £485
• 2009 Kew Gardens Fifty Pence Coin – £170
• 2008 ‘Undated Twenty Pence Coin – £50
• 2015 Britannia Two Pound Coin – £50+
• 1992-1993 Single Market Fifty Pence Coin – £45-£55

A brief history of the coin

I love a brief history lesson if only it means I can bore my children at dinner.

Coins were introduced as a payment method around the 6th or 5th century BCE by the Lydians (who were located in Turkey). The first coins were made of an alloy of silver and gold known as electrum. Gold and silver soon replaced electrum as the material of choice and a coin’s value was linked to the value of the metal rather than an arbitrary value as we do now.

In the UK, up until 1920, coins were made up of 92.5% silver. The content was then reduced and in 1947, silver was removed from all coins.

So, what makes a coin valuable?

Generally, it comes down to how rare something is. And that doesn’t necessarily mean an old coin that has been taken out of circulation. Many of the coins below are rare because very few were initially minted. 200,000 might seem like a big number, but when you think that around 29 billion coins are circulating in the UK, you soon realise it’s fairly insignificant.

What is the world’s most valuable coin?

Surprisingly (or maybe not), the highest-valued coins are from the United States. And the most expensive? The Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, which was struck in 1794 and is valued at over $10 million. Remember to check through your loose change to ensure you haven’t been given one the next time you visit the States…

Most valuable UK coins

So, without further ado, let’s look at some rare British coins. The six examples listed below will not be found in common circulation, but you never know, they may be found in a relative’s money box or if you happen to do a bit of metal detecting.

Edward VIII Gold Sovereign 1937

This 1937, 22-carat gold coin was created after the death of King George V. However, Edward VIII abdicated before his coronation, so these sovereigns were never mass-produced. There are two of these coins held by private collectors and four in museums and institutes.

One coin set a new record and was sold privately for £1 million in 2020. However, in March 2021, the record was broken again and the coin sold for $2,280,000 (£1,653,000).

Victoria Gold Proof “Una and the Lion” 5 Pounds 1839

This £5 coin was struck in 1839 to commemorate the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign (which started in 1837). It’s believed there were only a few hundred coins minted and aimed towards collectors rather than going into general circulation.

In August 2021, one coin sold for $1,440,000.00 (£1,050,000) at auction.

Queen Anne VIGO 5 Guineas 1703 

Just a handful of 5 guineas were produced and it’s thought that fewer than 20 have survived. The coin is made from gold captured at the Battle of Vigo Bay, during the War of the Spanish Succession.

In 2019, one of these coins sold for a then-record $1,080,000 (£855,000) at auction.

Charles II Silver Pattern “Petition” Crown 1663

This coin was struck just after the English Civil War and was engraved by Thomas Simon, one of the most celebrated medalists and engravers of the 17^th century.

A Charles II Silver Pattern went to auction on the 8th of January 2024 and sold for $960,000 (£752,000).

Charles II Gold Proof Pattern Crown 1662

Another coin from the Charles II era. This was designed by Roettiers, who would go on to produce pieces for James II, William II, and Mary.

One coin sold for $780,000 (£565,000) at auction on the 26th of March 2021.

George III Gold Proof Pattern 5 Guineas 1773

These coins never made it into general circulation, so very few were minted. In fact, there are thought to be fewer than ten.

A 5 Guineas coin sold for $750,000 (£544,000) at auction on the 26th of March 2021.

Modern rare coins

Ok, so the chances of you finding any of the coins above are pretty slim. However, some modern coins could still be in circulation or just sitting in a drawer somewhere.

European Economic Community Fifty Pence Coin 1973

This fifty-pence piece made of silver was released to celebrate the UK joining the EEC. However, it is estimated that only 5,000 were made and many were given to finance ministers and senior officials. Keep your eyes out for any Brexit coins…

It is estimated that these coins are worth around £3,000 each. There are plenty of non-silver coins around. But they only sell for around £3 each.

Elizabeth II Bank of England 300^th Anniversary Two Pound Coin 1994

This rare coin was minted to celebrate 300 years of the Bank of England. There are 1,000 of these coins and they are 22-carat gold proof. If you were given this as change in the shop, you would certainly know it.

These are valued in the region of £2,500. There are similar coins to these on eBay that sell in the region of £15. However, they are far more common and are not 22-carat.

Elizabeth II London Olympics Aquatics Fifty Pence Coin 2011 (First Design)

This rare 50 pence piece was released in 2011 to celebrate the following year’s London Olympic Games. However, it was decided that the swimmer’s face couldn’t be seen clearly, and the coin was redesigned with the waves missing their face.

It’s estimated that this coin could fetch £1,500.

Elizabeth II European Championships Gold Proof Two Pound Coin 1996

Remember when football came home? Well, the trophy didn’t. But to commemorate this major football tournament being played back on home soil, the Royal Mint made just under 2,100 of these coins. The date and 16 circles to signify the countries participating were on the rear of the coin.

This coin isn’t quite as rare as some of the above, but still difficult to find. You can find it on sale at some websites, but they don’t hang around for long. Prices start at £790.

Elizabeth II Two Pence Coin 1983

The reason why these coins are so rare and valuable is due to a technical glitch. Until 1982, all coins had “New Pence” written on the rear. After this date, the wording was changed to show the coin’s value. But in 1983, a batch of two pence coins was released with the wrong wording. The Royal Mint is unsure how many of these coins were released.

These coins have sold for over £500 at auction.

Elizabeth II Silver Two Pence Coin 2015

This is probably one of the rarest coins you can find and is known as a ‘mule’ or ‘error’ coin. A 10p blank found its way onto the minting press and was struck as a 2p instead. This isn’t the first time the error has occurred, with one being sold in 2014 for £1,357.

The 2015 coin sold for £485.

Elizabeth II Kew Gardens Fifty Pence Coin 2009

This coin was released to celebrate the 250th anniversary of London’s Kew Gardens. 210,000 coins were released and many went straight to collectors.

These coins are currently valued at around £170.

Elizabeth II Twenty Pence Piece 2008

Between 2008 and 2009, over 136 million new 20p coins were minted, which shows how many coins are actually made. But in November 2008, a minting error meant that just under 250,000 coins were produced without a date. Because of this, it makes them quite a collectable item.

If you find one, they can sell for around £50.

Britannia Two Pound Coin 2015

The Britannia £2 coin is fairly rare, with only 650,000 coins minted. But it’s still unlikely to be worth much more than face value. However, this coin did suffer from a small minting error where the Queen’s head was printed with an almost 180-degree rotation. It’s unclear how many of these coins carry the error, but estimates range from 3,000 to 4,000.

But how much is it worth? Well, eBay has seen this coin sell for well over £100, although other examples have gone for far less.

Single European Market Fifty Pence Coin 1992-1993

Only 109,000 of these coins were minted, making them very rare. Released to celebrate the UK’s Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the completion of the Single European Market, the coin was withdrawn in 1997 with the introduction of the smaller 50 pence pieces.

These coins generally sell for between £45 and £55.

And the not so rare

Finding rare coins can be challenging, but working out which coins are common can be even harder. The fact is, how often do you look closely at your change? And then, one day, you see something new and think it might be worth quite a bit.

Mrs Tittlemouse Fifty Pence Coin 2018

You would be forgiven for thinking this is a very valuable coin. It was released in 2018 to celebrate the Beatrix Potter books. And in 2019, it was reported that one of the coins was sold on eBay for £430. Whether the buyer paid, we will never know. We do know that there were 1.7 million of these coins minted, which means that although it’s limited, it isn’t a particularly rare coin. Yet.

Estimated value: £4

Charles Dickens Two Pound Coin 2012

This £2 coin was released to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens. There can be some very slight differences, such as in some versions, Queen Elizabeth’s head disappears halfway around, and the milled wording around the coin is upside down. But this isn’t very rare and can be caused by the mass printing process. In total, there were 8 million coins released, so it is very common.

Estimated value: £2