Old British Coins Worth Money: Silver, Crowns, Pennies and Sovereigns

British silver coins dated 1946 or earlier contain silver, and those dated 1919 or earlier are sterling, so old half crowns, florins, shillings and sixpences are worth more than face value. Gold sovereigns and half sovereigns carry their gold and more for rare dates. Most crowns from 1951 onwards, and most modern coins, are worth face value.

Check the date. British silver coins from 1816 to 1919 are 92.5% silver, those from 1920 to 1946 are 50% silver, and coins from 1947 onwards are cupronickel with no silver, except proofs and Maundy money. A heavy, bright ring when dropped is not a reliable test; the date is the quickest and surest guide.

Usually not much above face value. More than 19.6 million 1965 Churchill crowns were struck in cupronickel, with no silver, so they are very common. The crown remains legal tender at 25p. The exceptions are rare proof and specimen strikes, which a specialist can tell apart from the everyday coin by their mirror finish and sharp detail.

It depends on the year. The 1935 George V Jubilee crown is half silver and only 714,769 were made, so it is worth its silver and often more. The 1977 Silver Jubilee crown is cupronickel, over 37 million were struck, and it is usually worth face value unless it is a silver proof in its case.

Most old bronze pennies are common and worth little. The rare ones are the 1933 penny, of which only about seven are known because none were made for circulation, the unique 1952 penny, and early dates and varieties in exceptional condition. Pennies with full lustre and sharp detail are always worth more than worn ones.

A few are. The rarest coins in change are low-mintage designs such as the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p and the 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p, the 1983 2p struck in error with NEW PENCE, and the undated 20p. The 1983 round pound and most two pound coins, including the 2016 Shakespeare designs, are common.

No. Cleaning, polishing or dipping a coin removes its original surface and leaves fine scratches that collectors see at once, and it lowers the value of any coin with collector interest. Hold coins by the edge, keep them dry in paper envelopes or a coin album, and send them to be seen as they are.

Sort the coins by metal and date, then photograph both sides of anything gold, silver or unusual. Send the photos for a free valuation within one working day. We buy sovereigns, pre-1947 silver and collections, pay the same day by bank transfer, and offer insured postage, free collection or an appointment in Mayfair or Braintree.

Yes. Coins with Queen Elizabeth II's portrait remain legal tender and circulate alongside King Charles III coins. They have no expiry date: the Royal Mint replaces them gradually as they wear out or are damaged, so they will stay in change for many years.

Not in everyday change. British circulating coins stopped containing silver in 1947, before her reign began in 1952. Her Maundy money is sterling silver, and silver proofs, piedforts and Britannia bullion coins were made for collectors and investors. Her gold sovereigns are 22KT gold.

Check the design and date against the Royal Mint's mintage figures, ranked on our rarest UK coins page: the lowest circulation mintages are the rare ones. Look for known errors, such as the undated 20p and the 1983 NEW PENCE 2p, and for coins in perfect condition. Most other dates are common.

The first coins with King Charles III's portrait, a memorial 50p, entered circulation in December 2022. Coins in his new definitive series, with nature designs such as the Atlantic salmon 50p and bees on the one pound coin, followed from late 2023, and more denominations, including the 10p, have been added since.

The King's coin portrait was sculpted by Martin Jennings and approved by the King. Following tradition, the King faces left, the opposite direction to Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse designs of the definitive series show British plants and animals, chosen to reflect his interest in nature.

King Charles III coins are still a small share of the coins in circulation, so some designs are hard to find in change while they are new. Our rarest UK coins page lists his coins in circulation and their official mintages. Most will become common as more are struck.

The bee coin is the King Charles III one pound coin, whose reverse shows bees, part of his definitive series celebrating British wildlife. It is a circulating coin made in large numbers and worth face value; silver and gold proof versions were sold to collectors.

They are worth collecting for interest: the first coins of a new reign are popular, and finding each new design in change is a hobby for many. Circulating examples are worth face value, so collecting them costs little. Silver and gold proofs carry metal value.

All Victorian gold and silver coins have metal value: sovereigns and half sovereigns are 22KT gold, and crowns, half crowns, florins, shillings, sixpences and silver threepences are sterling silver. Rare dates, the 1847 Gothic crown and coins in fine condition are sought by collectors. Worn bronze pennies are common.

Most are common. Victorian pennies were copper until 1860 and bronze from 1860, the bronze bun head pennies being made in huge numbers, so worn examples are worth little. Rare dates and varieties, and pennies with sharp detail and original colour, are collected. Never clean them.

Victorian coins show three main portraits: the young head from 1838, the jubilee head from 1887, wearing a small crown, and the veiled old head from 1893 to 1901. Bronze coins from 1860 show the bun head. The portrait narrows the date, which helps identify the coin.

Irish coins dated 1928 to 1943 in silver denominations, the half crown, florin, shilling, sixpence and threepence, are 75% silver and worth more than face value. Later Irish coins are cupronickel or bronze and common. The 1943 florin is the best known rarity, because most of those struck were melted.

Irish coins from 1928 show a harp on one side and animals on the other, designed by Percy Metcalfe: a horse on the half crown, a salmon on the florin, a bull on the shilling, a wolfhound on the sixpence, a hen on the penny and a woodcock on the farthing. They read SAORSTAT EIREANN until 1937, then EIRE.

Yes. The Central Bank of Ireland exchanges Irish pound notes and coins for euro free of charge, with no time limit, by post or in person in Dublin. Silver coins dated 1943 or earlier are worth more than their exchange value, so have them checked before exchanging.