Which coins are worth collecting? The Definitive Top 10 Guide…

For many, the 2012 Olympic 50p collecting sensation kick started their interest in coins. In fact, millions rose to the challenge of collecting all 29 designs, and we now know that as many as 75% of the Olympic 50p coins have been removed from circulation by collectors.

But that was only the start…

Since then, the nation has been gripped by the latest Royal Mint releases, with collectors eagerly hunting down the most sought-after coins as they are released, as well as searching for the scarcest coins in circulation and the rarest of the rare error coins that you could be lucky enough to find in your change. 

As the public’s interest in coin collecting continues to grow, we’ve decided to take a look at the top 10 coins collectors are after right now and explain to you exactly why these coins are so sought-after.

1) 2017 Sir Isaac Newton 50p

Voted as both Change Checker’s favourite coin design of 2017 and Change Checker’s top historically significant coin, the 2017 Sir Isaac Newton 50p has the second lowest mintage figure for any commemorative 50p coin in circulation, with just 1,801,500 coins being struck.

Designed by Aaron West, this 50p coin was issued in 2017 to commemorate the achievements of Sir Isaac Newton and remembers the legacy he has left, 350 years after his birth in 1667. Sir Isaac Newton is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time and a key figure in the scientific revolution. He changed our understanding of mathematics and physics, redefined the way we see the world and shaped the security of our currency in his role as Master of the Mint.

In January 2018, The Royal Mint announced the 2018 Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin but the ONLY place to get hold of one was at The Royal Mint Experience in Llantrisant, Wales! Interestingly, these 2018 dated coins will not be released into circulation.

Click here to find out more about this sought-after 50p coin >>

2) A-Z of Great Britain 10p coins

We were incredibly excited to reveal the 26 new A to Z of Great Britain 10p coins to the public following The Royal Mint’s surprise release in March 2018. Since then they have created quite a stir in the world of coin collecting…

An initial early release of 2.6 million coins set collectors to frantically hunting down these coins in their change. In October 2018, another 2.6 million were released, and in 2019 their have been a further 2.1 million released, bringing the total number of coins in circulation to 7.3 million.

However, split evenly over the 26 designs, this still only brings the mintage figure for each coin to around 280,000 – only slightly more than the UK’s scarcest 50p coin in circulation! To find out which 10p is most sought-after, we’ve added the A-Z 10ps to our Scarcity Index charts to reveal the scarcest 10p design to look out for.

Click here to find out more about the individual coin designs >>

3) 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Memoriam 50p

To commemorate the Life of the Queen, The Royal Mint released a new UK 50p. And, in particularly interesting news for Change Checkers, the coin features the first portrait of King Charles III on the obverse.

This was only the second UK royal 50p to be issued, following the sought-after Platinum Jubilee 50p.

The 50p features the 2022 date and the reverse design created for the 1953 coronation crown, designed by Edgar Fuller and modelled by Cecil Thomas.

Find out more about the Queen Elizabeth II Memoriam 50p here >>

4) Kew Gardens 50p

The Kew Gardens 50p hit the headlines in February 2014 when it was revealed as the most scarce 50p in circulation, with a mintage figure of just 210,000. At the peak of the hype surrounding its value, some coins were exchanging hands for hundreds of pounds!

This incredibly sought-after 50p remains top of our 50p Scarcity Index and is still selling for around £102 on ebay, as you can see from our Ebay Tracker.

In 2019 the Kew Gardens was re-issued in Brilliant Uncirculated quality as part of the 50th Anniversary of the 50p Culture Set.

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew are a UNESCO World Heritage Site which boast 4.5 acres of gardens under glass as well as a soaring treetop walkway. One of the garden buildings is a Chinese Pagoda built in 1761 which features on the design of this scarce commemorative 50p.

Click here to find out more about this coin >>

5) Undated 20p

In 2008, the undated 20p became the first coin in over 300 years to enter circulation without a date, and when the story broke in the press, it caused a frenzy not just in the collecting world but amongst the general public who realised they stood just as good a chance as anyone of pulling one out of their change.

Matthew Dent’s new UK coin designs featured a different part of the Royal Arms Shield on each denomination, and the new 20p devoted the entire reverse face to the design, meaning a new die with the date on the obverse (Queen’s head) side was created.

However, when the new Royal Shield 20p coins were struck for circulation, the old die was accidentally used, meaning a batch was issued with no date on either side of the coin.

Coins with mismatched sides like these are known in the collecting world as ‘mules’ and are highly coveted, but The Royal Mint confirmed in a statement that no more than 250,000 coins made it into circulation.

Click here to find out more about this coin >>

6) 2023 UK Coronation 50p and £5

The UK’s very first Coronation 50p was issued alongside a £5 coin in 2023, to mark King Charles III’s Coronation.

This was the very first time we’d seen His Majesty crowned on our UK coins, stamps, or banknotes. Previous King Charles III issues show His Majesty uncrowned, in keeping with centuries’ old traditions.

Only collector versions of the Coronation coins featured this unique portrait – making for a particularly special collecting story.

Within just hours of release, limited edition presentations of these coins sold out at The Royal Mint – demand that hasn’t been seen since the 2022 Platinum Jubilee issues.

Find out more and get yours here >>

7) Benjamin Britten 50p

This 50p design was issued to commemorate the centenary of the birth of British Composer, Benjamin Britten in 1913, and features celebratory words from Tennyson set against a double stave – referencing the piano on which Britten was a virtuoso. Whilst this 50p was initially somewhat overlooked when it was first released, it hit the headlines back in 2016 when press articles revealed the coin being listed on ebay for over £800.

Sadly, ebay is not always a fair indicator of value, as anyone can list a coin at whatever price they choose. So when one collector found this slightly unusual coin in their change and listed it on eBay for an outrageous price, others soon followed, leading people to believe that the coin indeed had a high value. In fact, the Benjamin Britten 50p is actually quite common and you’ll likely come across the coin in your change without having to pay £800!

Click here to find out more about this coin >>

8) Commonwealth Games NI £2

In 2002, four £2 coins were issued to mark the Commonwealth Games, held in Manchester which, prior to the Olympic Games in London in 2012, was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK.

There are four different designs of the £2 commemorative coin and all are similar except that the central cameo features a different flag for the four constituent countries of the UK.  They are some of the scarcest £2 coins now in circulation, with even the largest mintage (Scotland) set at just 771,750. 

Trying to tell the difference between the coins is tricky, however the one you’ll really want to be looking out for is the Northern Ireland £2.  Just 485,000 coins were ever struck, making it officially the UK’s rarest £2 coin.

Click here to find out more about this coin >>

9) New UK Coinage

It’s #AllChange for UK coinage, as in 2023, the 1p through to the £2 had brand new designs to usher in the reign of King Charles III.

Eight new coins were released – one for each of our circulating denominations – featuring brand new reverse designs and (for the first time in 70 years) the King on the obverse.

Although we had already seen several commemorative 50p, £2 and £5 coins issued bearing His Majesty’s effigy on the obverse, this was the first time seeing his portrait on the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and £1 – the coins we’ll find in our everyday change.

His Majesty is known for his keen interest in wildlife conservation and plant life, having been Patron of The Wildlife Trust since 1977. This passion was a key inspiration for The Royal Mint when designing the UK’s new coinage.

Find out more about these coins on our blog >>

10) 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p

The 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p overtook the 2016 Jemima Puddle-Duck 50p as the joint second rarest 50p when the 2018 mintage figures were released (excluding the Olympic 50ps). The 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p and 2018 Flopsy Bunny 50p have a mintage of just 1,400,000!

In fact, the 2018 Peter Rabbit, Flopsy Bunny and Mrs Tittlemouse have lower mintages than any of the previous Beatrix Potter coins issued in 2016 and 2017.

The 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p coin was issued to carry on the celebrations of one of Beatrix Potter’s famous animals and the first of Beatrix Potter’s 23 children’s tales ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’.

Click here to find out more about this coin >>

---

As a Change Checker, there’s nothing more satisfying than finding a rare coin to complete your collection, and I’m sure you’ll agree that some of the coins mentioned above would make for an extra special find if you came across them in your change.

But have you been lucky enough to find any of these top 10 coins? Let us know in the comments below!

---

If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:

– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers

Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app