Rare 50p Coins and the Rarest UK Coins in Your Change, Ranked by Mintage
Every circulating 50p, £2 and £1, ranked from the Royal Mint's own mintage figures, with the A to Z 10ps, the King's new coins and the errors worth checking for.
The rarest coins in UK circulation, by Royal Mint mintage (updated 27 August 2026):
- Rarest 50p: Atlantic Salmon, 2023, 200,000; then Kew Gardens, 2009, 210,000.
- Rarest £2: Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland, 2002, 485,500.
- Rarest £1: Edinburgh, 2011, 935,000 (round, withdrawn); 12-sided: 2022, 7,735,000.
- Rarest of all: the 2019 A to Z 10ps W, Y and Z, 63,000 each.
- King Charles III: 5p, 10p, 50p and £1 are in change; the 1p, 2p, 20p and £2 are not yet.
In this article
- What a mintage figure tells you
- Rare 50p coins, ranked by mintage
- Rare £2 coins, ranked by mintage
- The rarest £1 coins, round and 12-sided
- Rare 10p coins: the A to Z and the new Capercaillie
- King Charles III coins in circulation, October 2026
- Errors and the rarest coin of each value
- How to spot fake and fantasy coins
- Condition, and why eBay prices mislead
- While you check your change, check the drawer
- Questions
What a mintage figure tells you
One number per design, per year
A mintage is the number of coins of one design and date struck for circulation. The Royal Mint publishes the figures for every denomination; the latest update is dated 27 August 2026.
New coins are made only when banks and post offices need them. That is why some recent years are so low, and why a few dates show none at all: those coins exist only in collector sets.
Figures can also go up. The Royal Mint struck 2,000,000 more Atlantic Salmon 50ps dated 2025, and the figure for the 2026 Capercaillie 10p is not yet final. Every number below is dated for that reason.
Rare 50p coins, ranked by mintage
The ten rarest 50ps in your change
1. Atlantic Salmon (2023)200,000
2. Kew Gardens (2009)210,000
3. London 2012 Football (2011)1,125,500
4. London 2012 Wrestling (2011)1,129,500
5. London 2012 Judo (2011)1,161,500
6. London 2012 Triathlon (2011)1,163,500
=7. Flopsy Bunny (2018)1,400,000
=7. Peter Rabbit (2018)1,400,000
9. London 2012 Tennis (2011)1,454,000
10. London 2012 Goalball (2011)1,615,500
Atlantic Salmon and Kew Gardens
Only 200,000 Atlantic Salmon 50ps dated 2023 were released, 10,000 fewer than the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p. The salmon reached change at the end of November 2023.
Kew Gardens, with its pagoda wrapped in a vine, had been the rarest 50p from 2009 until the Royal Mint announced the salmon's figure on 7 October 2024.
Only the 2009 Kew Gardens is the rare one: see our Cluedo 50p guide for the 2019 collector version.
The 20 lowest-mintage 50ps
| Rank | Coin | Year | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantic Salmon | 2023 | 200,000 |
| 2 | Kew Gardens | 2009 | 210,000 |
| 3 | London 2012 Football | 2011 | 1,125,500 |
| 4 | London 2012 Wrestling | 2011 | 1,129,500 |
| 5 | London 2012 Judo | 2011 | 1,161,500 |
| 6 | London 2012 Triathlon | 2011 | 1,163,500 |
| =7 | Flopsy Bunny | 2018 | 1,400,000 |
| =7 | Peter Rabbit | 2018 | 1,400,000 |
| 9 | London 2012 Tennis | 2011 | 1,454,000 |
| 10 | London 2012 Goalball | 2011 | 1,615,500 |
| 11 | London 2012 Shooting | 2011 | 1,656,500 |
| 12 | London 2012 Taekwondo | 2011 | 1,664,000 |
| 13 | London 2012 Handball | 2011 | 1,676,500 |
| 14 | London 2012 Modern Pentathlon | 2011 | 1,689,500 |
| 15 | Mrs Tittlemouse | 2018 | 1,700,000 |
| 16 | London 2012 Rowing | 2011 | 1,717,300 |
| 17 | London 2012 Gymnastics | 2011 | 1,720,813 |
| 18 | London 2012 Table Tennis | 2011 | 1,737,500 |
| 19 | London 2012 Basketball | 2011 | 1,748,000 |
| 20 | London 2012 Sailing | 2011 | 1,749,500 |
Show the next 25 (ranks 21 to 45)
| Rank | Coin | Year | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | London 2012 Wheelchair Rugby | 2011 | 1,765,500 |
| 22 | London 2012 Hockey | 2011 | 1,773,500 |
| 23 | Royal Shield (definitive) | 2017 | 1,800,000 |
| 24 | Sir Isaac Newton | 2017 | 1,801,500 |
| 25 | London 2012 Weightlifting | 2011 | 1,879,500 |
| 26 | Atlantic Salmon | 2025 | 2,000,000 |
| 27 | London 2012 Cycling | 2011 | 2,090,500 |
| 28 | Jemima Puddle-Duck | 2016 | 2,100,000 |
| 29 | London 2012 Fencing | 2011 | 2,115,500 |
| =30 | London 2012 Badminton | 2011 | 2,133,500 |
| =30 | London 2012 Volleyball | 2011 | 2,133,500 |
| 32 | London 2012 Equestrian | 2011 | 2,142,500 |
| 33 | London 2012 Boxing | 2011 | 2,148,500 |
| 34 | London 2012 Boccia | 2011 | 2,166,000 |
| 35 | London 2012 Canoeing | 2011 | 2,166,500 |
| 36 | London 2012 Aquatics | 2011 | 2,179,000 |
| 37 | London 2012 Athletics | 2011 | 2,224,000 |
| 38 | Suffragettes | 2003 | 3,124,030 |
| 39 | London 2012 Archery | 2011 | 3,345,500 |
| 40 | WWF | 2011 | 3,400,000 |
| 41 | Britannia | 2008 | 3,500,000 |
| 42 | Tailor of Gloucester | 2018 | 3,900,000 |
| =43 | Squirrel Nutkin | 2016 | 5,000,000 |
| =43 | UK Pride | 2022 | 5,000,000 |
| =43 | The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III | 2023 | 5,000,000 |
Small 50ps only (1997 onwards). The larger 50ps were withdrawn in 1998 and are no longer legal tender, including the 1992-93 EC Presidency 50p (109,000). Ranks calculated by Mozeris Fine Antiques; equal figures share a rank.
The London 2012 set
The Royal Mint struck 29 sports 50ps in 2011 for the London 2012 Games, and they fill most of the table. Football, Wrestling, Judo and Triathlon each ran to just over a million.
The 2018 Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny, at 1,400,000 each, are the lowest of the Beatrix Potter coins.
Rare £2 coins, ranked by mintage
The four 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 coins, one for each nation, hold four of the top five places. Northern Ireland's is the rarest £2 in circulation, at 485,500.
| Rank | Coin | Year | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commonwealth Games: Northern Ireland | 2002 | 485,500 |
| 2 | Commonwealth Games: Wales | 2002 | 588,500 |
| =3 | Britannia | 2015 | 650,000 |
| =3 | First World War: Royal Navy | 2015 | 650,000 |
| 5 | Commonwealth Games: England | 2002 | 650,500 |
| 6 | Commonwealth Games: Scotland | 2002 | 771,750 |
| 7 | Olympic Handover | 2012 | 845,000 |
| 8 | 1908 London Olympics | 2008 | 910,000 |
| 9 | Olympic Handover | 2008 | 918,000 |
| 10 | King James Bible | 2011 | 975,000 |
| 11 | Mary Rose | 2011 | 1,040,000 |
| 12 | Magna Carta | 2015 | 1,495,000 |
| 13 | London Underground: Roundel | 2013 | 1,560,000 |
| 14 | Great Fire of London | 2016 | 1,625,000 |
| 15 | London Underground: Train | 2013 | 1,690,000 |
- 2015: the First World War Royal Navy £2 and the Britannia £2 each ran to 650,000.
- 2011: the King James Bible (975,000) and the Mary Rose (1,040,000) are the commemoratives most often asked about.
- Dates with none: no Britannia £2 was struck for circulation from 2017 to 2020, and the King's Flowers of the Four Nations £2 has not been struck for circulation at all.
The rarest £1 coins, round and 12-sided
The 12-sided £1 entered circulation on 28 March 2017, and the round pound was withdrawn on 15 October 2017. Each type has its own table.
12-sided £1: every year struck for circulation
| Rank | 12-sided £1 | Year | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nations of the Crown | 2022 | 7,735,000 |
| 2 | Bee | 2023 | 10,030,000 |
| 3 | Nations of the Crown | 2021 | 21,760,000 |
| 4 | Nations of the Crown | 2020 | 55,840,169 |
| 5 | Bee | 2025 | 62,475,000 |
| 6 | Nations of the Crown | 2018 | 130,560,000 |
| 7 | Nations of the Crown | 2019 | 138,635,000 |
| 8 | Nations of the Crown | 2016 | 648,936,536 |
| 9 | Nations of the Crown | 2017 | 749,616,200 |
The 2022 Nations of the Crown pound is the rarest 12-sided £1 so far. The King's Bee pound followed in 2023, none were struck in 2024, and the 2025 figure now stands at 62,475,000.
Round £1: the ten rarest
| Rank | Round £1 | Year | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh | 2011 | 935,000 |
| 2 | Cardiff | 2011 | 1,615,000 |
| 3 | London | 2010 | 2,635,000 |
| 4 | Royal Arms | 2008 | 3,910,000 |
| 5 | Scotland | 2014 | 5,185,000 |
| =6 | England | 2013 | 5,270,000 |
| =6 | Wales | 2013 | 5,270,000 |
| 8 | Northern Ireland | 2014 | 5,780,000 |
| 9 | Belfast | 2010 | 6,205,000 |
| 10 | Royal Shield | 1988 | 7,118,825 |
The Royal Mint's mintage table gives 935,000 for the Edinburgh pound; its Rarest Denominations page gives 935,500.
Rare 10p coins: the A to Z and the new Capercaillie
In 2018 the Royal Mint issued 26 alphabet 10ps for its Great British Coin Hunt, 220,000 of each letter. It struck the set again dated 2019 in far smaller numbers, and those 2019 letters are now the rarest coins in circulation of any denomination.
| 2019 letter | 2019 mintage | 2018 mintage |
|---|---|---|
| W, Y and Z | 63,000 each | 220,000 each |
| R | 64,000 | 220,000 each |
| Q | 83,000 | 220,000 each |
| The other 21 letters | 84,000 each | 220,000 each |
The rarest letters are W (World Wide Web), Y (Yeoman Warder) and Z (Zebra crossing), then R (Robin) and Q (Queuing). A 2019 W, Y or Z, at 63,000 each, is rarer than any 50p. Check the date on the heads side: the 2018 letters were struck 220,000 times each.
The Capercaillie 10p is the newest arrival. The Royal Mint released 600,000 dated 2023 and 6.5 million dated 2026 from 25 August 2026, the first 10ps with the King's portrait.
Found something rarer in a drawer? Get a free valuation
King Charles III coins in circulation, October 2026
Four of eight are in your change
The King's eight definitive designs show British wildlife and plants. As of October 2026, four denominations with his portrait are in circulation: the 5p, 10p, 50p and £1.
The 1p and 20p have been struck but not released: the Royal Mint says they will enter circulation only if there is demand. Queen Elizabeth II coins remain legal tender.
Of about 24.1 billion UK coins in circulation, around 1% carry the King's portrait.
| Coin | 2023 | 2025 | In change? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1p Hazel Dormouse | 600,000 | none | Not yet |
| 2p Red Squirrel | none | none | Not yet |
| 5p Oak Leaf | 32,400,000 | 19,000,000 | Yes |
| 10p Capercaillie | 600,000 | none | Yes, from Aug 2026 |
| 20p Puffin | 525,000 | 20,125,000 | Not yet |
| 50p Atlantic Salmon | 200,000 | 2,000,000 | Yes |
| £1 Bee | 10,030,000 | 62,475,000 | Yes |
| £2 Flowers of the Four Nations | none | none | Not yet |
"None" means none struck for circulation that year. No circulation coins of any of these designs were struck in 2024.
Errors and the rarest coin of each value
| Coin | Rarest in circulation | Mintage |
|---|---|---|
| £2 | Commonwealth Games, Northern Ireland, 2002 | 485,500 |
| £1 | Edinburgh, 2011 (round, withdrawn) | 935,000 |
| 50p | Atlantic Salmon, 2023 | 200,000 |
| 20p | Old design, 2008 | 11,900,000 |
| 10p | A to Z letters W, Y and Z, 2019 | 63,000 each |
| 5p | Oak Leaf, 2025 | 19,000,000 |
| 2p | Old design by Christopher Ironside, 2008 | 10,600,000 |
| 1p | 2022 | 30,000,000 |
The 2008 2p and 20p are old-design coins struck in the year Matthew Dent's shield designs arrived. The 2023 Puffin 20p (525,000) and Hazel Dormouse 1p (600,000) would top their tables, but neither is in circulation yet.
The undated 20p
When the 20p was redesigned in 2008, the date moved from the tails side to the heads side. An old heads die was used with the new tails, so a batch has no date on either side. The Royal Mint said no more than 250,000 reached circulation.
The 1983 "new pence" 2p
From 1982 the 2p read TWO PENCE. A small number of 1983 2ps were struck with the old NEW PENCE wording. In 1983 2ps were made only for collector sets, not for circulation, and nobody knows how many errors exist.
How to spot fake and fantasy coins
Check the design against the list
A fantasy coin pairs a real design with a date the Royal Mint never used. The Mary Rose £2, for example, exists only dated 2011.
- £2 edge: the lettering should be crisp and should match the design. A genuine £2 weighs 12 g, though some fakes do too.
- 12-sided £1: two metals, milled edges, a latent image and the tiny ONE POUND lettering shown above.
- Colour: the Royal Mint's colour coins are collector versions sold in packs. The circulating mintage list has none.
- Altered coins: a coin plated, painted or with a ground-off date is not an error, whatever the listing says.
Condition, and why eBay prices mislead
Condition grades in brief
- Circulated: worn from use; detail flattens on the highest points.
- Uncirculated: no wear from use.
- Brilliant Uncirculated: struck to a higher standard and sealed in a Royal Mint pack.
- Proof: mirror fields and frosted detail, cased with a certificate.
Do not clean a coin: polishing leaves fine scratches.
Headlines quote eBay listings, but a listing is an asking price, not a sale, and one sale does not set a value for every coin. Which? found eBay is not a reliable price guide for 50ps; our Cluedo 50p guide explains more.
A rare coin from your change is worth face value plus whatever premium its condition and collector demand support. Every coin is different: send us photos and we will tell you what yours is worth, free and with no obligation. Ask for a free valuation.
While you check your change, check the drawer
Coins from change are usually sold collector to collector. The coins we buy every week are older, and often sit in the same tin.
Silver coins before 1947
British silver coins were sterling silver until 1919 and half silver from 1920 to 1946. Crowns, half crowns, florins, shillings and sixpences of those years all count. See pre-1920 silver coins, pre-1947 silver coins and Maundy money.
Proof coins and sets in gold and silver
Royal Mint proofs struck in silver or gold are valued on their metal and on collectors, so keep the case and certificate together. See our silver coins guide.
Gold sovereigns
Gold sovereigns often sit in the same tin as old change. Read sovereign value by year, then see how we buy gold sovereigns and Krugerrands.
Inherited a coin tin? See attic finds, inherited jewellery and inherited silver. Old notes are covered in Bank of England banknotes.
- Photograph
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Request a free valuation
- The Atlantic Salmon (200,000) and Kew Gardens (210,000) are the rarest 50ps in change.
- The 2019 A to Z 10ps W, Y and Z, at 63,000 each, are the lowest mintages of any circulating coin.
- Only the 5p, 10p, 50p and £1 of King Charles III are in circulation so far.
- A mintage can rise when the Royal Mint strikes more, so check the date of any figure.
- We value old silver coins, sovereigns and proofs free from photos.
Questions we are asked
What is the rarest 50p coin in circulation?
The 2023 Atlantic Salmon 50p, with 200,000 released, followed by the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p at 210,000. Next come the 2011 Olympic Football (1,125,500), Wrestling and Judo 50ps.
How many Kew Gardens 50p coins were made?
210,000 were struck for circulation, all dated 2009. The design was struck again dated 2019 for a collector set, but that version was not made for circulation.
What is the rarest coin in circulation?
By mintage, the 2019 A to Z 10ps lettered W, Y and Z, at 63,000 each. The rarest 50p is the Atlantic Salmon and the rarest £2 is the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland coin (485,500).
What is the rarest £2 coin?
The 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 for Northern Ireland, with 485,500 struck. The Wales version (588,500) is second.
What is the rarest £1 coin?
The round 2011 Edinburgh £1 (935,000), though round pounds were withdrawn in 2017. Among 12-sided pounds, the 2022 Nations of the Crown is rarest at 7,735,000.
Which King Charles III coins are in circulation?
As of October 2026, the 5p, 10p, 50p and £1. The 10p arrived on 25 August 2026. The 1p and 20p have been struck but not released, and no 2p or £2 has been struck for circulation.
Is the undated 20p rare?
It is scarce: the Royal Mint said no more than 250,000 undated 20ps reached circulation, out of the many millions of 20ps made.
Can you value my coins?
Yes. Send photos of both sides and we will tell you what they are worth, free and with no obligation. We buy pre-1947 silver coins, sovereigns and gold and silver proofs.
Value your coins
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