18 rarest Royal Mint coins minted under Queen Elizabeth II

The Royal Mint has named some of the rarest coins released into circulation during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, reigniting interest among collectors across the country.

Coins such as the iconic Kew Gardens 50p and the limited-edition alphabet 10p pieces are among the most valuable, with some selling for hundreds of times their original worth on resale platforms like eBay.

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.

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."

The 50p coin has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, thanks to its large size and frequent use for commemorative designs.

Its 27.5mm heptagonal shape offers ample space for artwork, and over the decades, it has featured tributes to major historical and cultural moments.

Among the most sought-after is the Kew Gardens 50p.

Other factors that influence a coin’s value include its condition, design, and any minting errors.

Coins in pristine condition or with rare design flaws often command a higher price.

Collectors are now encouraged to check their wallets and spare change, as a hidden treasure could be waiting in plain sight.

Even more common coins, if especially well-preserved or featuring a rare error, could be worth significantly more than their face value.

Royal Mint rarest coins from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign

Here is a list of rare coins compiled by the Royal Mint, with information about the year of release, denomination, design features and whether or not the coin is still in circulation:

• 2019, 10p, a set of “A to Z” coins celebrating Britain. Letters Y, W and Z each had a mintage of 63,000, yes.
• 2019, 10p, also from the A to Z collection, the letter R had a mintage of 64,000, yes.
• 2019, 10p, all other letters in the A to Z collection had a mintage of 84,000, yes.
• 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. The Mint said this was the lowest number of its 50ps issued into circulation, no.
• 2009, 50p, the design features the Kew Gardens pagoda with a decorative leafy climber twining in and around the tower, 210,000, yes.
• 2018 dated, 10p, the A to Z 10p collection celebrating Britain, each letter in this year had a mintage of 220,000, yes.
• 2015, £2, this coin paid tribute to the Royal Navy and its role during the First World War, and had a mintage of 650,000, yes.
• 2015, £2, it featured Britannia for the first time on a circulating £2 coin, with a mintage of 650,000, yes.
• 1985, 50p, the coin featured a figure of Britannia, with a shield, with a mintage of 682,103, no.
• 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.
• 2012, £2, the coin celebrated the closing of the 2012 Olympics and had a mintage of 845,000, yes
• 2008, £2, the coin marked the centenary of the Olympic Games, with mintage of 910,000, yes.
• 2008, £2, the coin marked the end of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, with a mintage of 918,000, yes.
• 2011, £2, the coin commemorated 400 years since the King James Bible was published, with a mintage of 975,000, yes.
• 2018, 50p, a series of coins celebrated Beatrix Potter’s classic tales, with a mintage of 1,400,000 each for the Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny designs, yes.
• 2011, 50p, a 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.
• 2010-2011, £1, a series of round pound coins featuring official badges of capital cities in the UK. They had mintages of 935,000 for Edinburgh, 2,635,000 for London and 1,615,000 for Cardiff, no.
• 2008, £1,  the round pound coin featured the UK’s Royal Arms, with a mintage of 3,910,000, no.