The Royal Mint has urged people to check their change for rare coins.
The organisation, which is the official maker of British coins in the UK, has revealed the rarest version of each of the eight coins in Britain.
Values range from a coin’s face value to thousands of pounds, with a coin's mintage used to establish the rarity of a coin.
Figures are available on the Royal Mint’s website, where mintage figures can be checked.
What makes a coin valuable or rare?
There are ‘circulating’ coins, released from The Royal Mint to banks and post offices, typically featuring a standard set of designs.
There are also commemorative coins, mostly designed to be collectable items and gifts which celebrate key events, anniversaries and themes.
The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, however, there are also rare 10p, 20p and other coins.
The 27.5mm diameter of the 50p makes it the largest of any British coin and allows space for decorative pictures.
It has often been used to celebrate big events over the course of British history.
The rarest coins tend to be the most valuable, with mintage (the number of coins of each design made) being the primary attraction for collectors.
Along with the design, other aspects of the coin that increase its value are its condition and whether it has a design error.
The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value.
Some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, whereas others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.
Royal Mint reveals rarest version of all 8 British coins
The Royal Mint recently revealed each British coin with the lowest mintage.
It said: "From the £2 to the 1p, we have identified the coins with the lowest mintages.
"You might be holding a rare one without even knowing it."
Here is a list of the rarest versions of each British coin, when they were made, and how many were minted:
- Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 (2002) - 485,500
- Edinburgh City £1 (2011) - 935,500
- Atlantic Salmon 50p (2023) - 200,000
- Puffin 20p (2023) - 525,000
- Great British Coin Hunt coins: W - World Wide Web, Y - Yeoman Warder, Z - Zebra Crossing (2019) - 63,000
- Oak Tree Leaf 5p (2025) - 19,000,000
- Christopher Ironside 2p (2008) - 10.6 million
- Hazel Dormouse 1p (2023) - 600,000
Recommended reading:
- The rare Royal Mint 50p coin selling for more than 350 times its face value
- Rare Royal Mint coin worth £14,500 among 5 new coins coming in 2026
- Royal Mint reveals the 18 rarest Queen Elizabeth II coins still in circulation
The Puffin 20p and Hazel Dormouse 1p are both yet to enter circulation; however, the number of each coin minted makes them the rarest 20p and 1p, respectively.
Both coins will only enter circulation if there is demand.
Have you ever come across or collected any rare coins? Let us know in the comments.
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