Queen Elizabeth II’s reign spanned 70 years during which time many coins with special designs were issued to celebrate moments in history including some rare 10p, 50p and £2 coins
You may not use cash that much anymore but it’s definitely worth paying your small change a bit more attention. This is because it could be worth more than the value stamped on it. Despite a slight rise in the use of cash in 2023, most people choose to use other methods to pay for items these days. Debit cards are the most popular form of payments and the introduction of contactless and digital wallets has made it all too easy to part with our hard earned money in a flash.
However lots of people still prefer to use cash so they can budget more accurately and in a cost of living crisis it certainly makes sense to keep an eye on exactly what you’re spending. It also could pay to keep a closer check on the short change that weighs down your purse or wallet because it could be worth more than the value stamped on it.
During the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, which spanned 70 years, many coins were issued with unique designs to celebrate special occasions in history and culture. The Royal Mint issued a list of the rarest ones to enter circulation and they include some 10p, 50p and £2 coins.
The rarest ones are usually the most valuable and collectors tend to pay most attention to the mintage – the number of coins with each design made. The design itself and the condition of the coin may increase its value as could any error in design. How it is sold also determines value, with some collector’s bidding thousands on sites such as eBay or at auction. Others may opt for a valuation with a dealer.
Some of the rarest coins to look out for in your change include 50ps that celebrate the Platinum Jubilee , Kew Gardens and 50 years of Pride . When it comes to £2 coins, which first entered circulation in 1998, keep an eye out for those featuring The Royal Navy, Britannia and the Commonwealth Games. There is also a selection of special alphabet 10p coins that you’ll be lucky to come across.
Mark Loveridge, director of UK currency at the Royal Mint, said: “The coinage of Queen Elizabeth II spanned 70 years and special designs issued into circulation celebrated some of the biggest events in history. Although the 2022 mintage figures mark the last time that Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait will appear on new coins, over 27 billion of her coins will remain in circulation.
“Coin collecting remains a popular hobby in the UK and the coins of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign are particularly coveted. By sharing the list of rare designs we hope people will look closely at their coins – if they’re lucky they might find a piece of history.”
Here is the list of the rarest coins from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. It includes year of release, denomination, special design features and if it’s still in circulation:
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2019, 10p, a set of A to Z coins celebrating Britain. Letters Y, W and Z each had a mintage of 63,000, yes.
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2019, 10p, from the A to Z collection, the letter R had a mintage of 64,000, yes.
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2019, 10p, all other letters in the A to Z collection had a mintage of 84,000, yes.
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1992-1993, 50p, the coin celebrated the UK’s presidency of the Council of Ministers and the completion of the European single market. The design included a representation of a table with 12 stars, linked by a network of lines and the mintage was 109,000. This was the lowest number of 50ps issued into circulation, no.
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2009, 50p, design features the Kew Gardens pagoda with a leafy climber, 210,000, yes.
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2018 dated, 10p, the A to Z 10p collection celebrating Britain, each letter in this year had a mintage of 220,000, yes.
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2015, £2, paid tribute to the Royal Navy and its role during the First World War, and had a mintage of 650,000, yes.
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2015, £2, it featured Britannia for the first time on a circulating £2 coin, with a mintage of 650,000, yes.
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1985, 50p, featured Britannia with a shield, with a mintage of 682,103, no.
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2002, £2, four £2 coins celebrating each home nation for the Commonwealth Games. Mintage figures for Scotland were 771,750, for Wales, 588,500, for Ireland, 485,500, and for England 650,500, yes.
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2012, £2, celebrated the closing of the 2012 Olympics and had a mintage of 845,000, yes
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2008, £2, marked the centenary of the Olympic Games, with a mintage of 910,000, yes.
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2008, £2, the coin to mark the end of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, with a mintage of 918,000, yes.
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2011, £2, commemorated 400 years since the King James Bible was published, with a mintage of 975,000, yes.
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2018, 50p, series of coins celebrating Beatrix Potter’s classic tales, with a mintage of 1,400,000 each for the Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny designs, yes.
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2011, 50p, series of coins celebrating the London 2012 Olympics. Mintages included 1,454,000 for tennis, 1,161,500 for judo and 1,129,500 for wrestling, yes.
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2010-2011, £1, a series of round pound coins featuring official badges of capital cities in the UK. Mintages of 935,000 for Edinburgh, 2,635,000 for London and 1,615,000 for Cardiff, no.
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2008, £1, round pound coin featured the UK’s Royal Arms, with a mintage of 3,910,000, no.
Have you ever come across a rare coin in your change? Let us know in the comments below.
