Quick answer
No. The old round £1 coin lost its legal tender status at midnight on 15 October 2017, so shops no longer take it. The Royal Mint says round pounds can still be deposited into a customer's account at most high-street banks, and they can be donated to charity. A few dates are worth more than £1.
Key dates and rules
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Round £1 issued | 21 April 1983 to 15 October 2017 |
| Legal tender ended | Midnight on 15 October 2017 |
| Replaced by | The 12-sided £1 coin |
| Can shops accept it? | No, it is no longer legal tender |
| Can banks accept it? | Most high-street banks take deposits from their own customers, with arrangements and limits that vary by bank |
| Deadline for bank deposits | None published by the Royal Mint |
| Size and metal | 22.5mm, 9.5g, nickel-brass |
| Typical sold price, common date | About £1 to £6 (1983 Royal Arms, circulated) |
Are old round pound coins still legal tender?
No. The Royal Mint states that the round £1 coin "lost its legal tender status at midnight on 15 October 2017". From that point it could no longer be spent, and the 12-sided £1 is the only pound coin in use.
Losing legal tender status does not make the coin worthless. It means the coin can no longer be used to settle a debt or pay in a shop. The face value can still be recovered through a bank, as set out below, and some round pounds sell to collectors for more than £1.
The Bank of England makes a related point about legal tender in general: it has a narrow technical meaning about settling debts, and a shop owner can choose what payment to accept. For round pounds that choice has been made for you, because the coin is no longer current at all.
Can you still take old pound coins to the bank?
Yes, in most cases, if you are a customer. The Royal Mint's current £1 coin page says the round £1 "can continue to be deposited into a customer's account at most High Street Banks in the UK". It adds that specific arrangements may vary from bank to bank, including deposit limits, and advises checking with your own bank.
Three practical points follow from that wording.
First, it is a deposit into your own account, not a swap over the counter for new coins. If you do not bank with that branch, expect to be turned away.
Second, banks are not obliged to do this. The Royal Mint's guidance on demonetised coins says most high-street banks are willing to accept them from customers but are "under no legal obligation to do so". A bank can change its policy without notice.
Third, policies differ on how the coins must be presented and how many you can pay in at once. Ring the branch or check the bank's website before carrying a heavy bag into town.
Can you take old pound coins to the Post Office?
Possibly, but check first. The Royal Mint's guidance on coins no longer in circulation says larger Post Office branches are "usually willing to accept demonetised coins in exchange for goods and services", again with no legal obligation.
That is the only current official wording available, and it is general guidance for withdrawn coins as a whole. Ask at the counter of a main branch before relying on it. If the answer is no, your own bank is the more reliable route.
What can you do with old round pound coins?
There are four sensible options. Which one suits you depends on how many coins you have and which dates they are.
| Option | What you get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Pay into your bank account | £1 per coin | Common dates in any quantity your bank allows |
| Ask at a larger Post Office | Goods or services to the face value, if the branch agrees | A handful of coins |
| Donate to charity | Nothing back, but the charity raises money from them | Small numbers, mixed with other old or foreign coins |
| Sell to collectors | More than £1 for scarcer dates and uncirculated coins | Capital city coins and coins in mint condition |
Donate them
The Royal Mint lists donating to charity as an option for round pounds. Several charities say on their own websites that they take old British money. RNIB accepts old British currency along with foreign coins and notes, and sends out a free pre-paid box. The Children's Trust accepts old British and pre-decimal currency by post or at its charity shops.
Sort them before you bank them
Check the dates and designs before depositing a jar of round pounds. Banking a scarce coin for £1 is the one way to lose money here. The round pound series page lists every design from 1983 to 2016.
How many old round pounds are still out there?
A large number never came back. In the week before the deadline, HM Treasury said more than 1.2 billion round pounds had been returned in the previous six months, and that as many as one in thirty round pounds was thought to be a fake.
The Royal Mint has since given figures to the press. In 2018 it confirmed that 169 million round pounds had not been returned. In 2020 it said £1.58 billion worth had come back over three years and that about 122 million were still outstanding. It also reported that around 1.45 million counterfeits had been returned since 2017, which it described as a significant underestimate.
The Royal Mint has said it does not expect every round pound to be returned, and that coins tend to trickle back for years as people find them. No more recent figure has been published that we could find.
Are the old round pound coins worth anything?
Most are worth £1 at the bank and a little more to a collector. A small group is worth keeping.
The 1983 Royal Arms, the first round pound, has a mintage of 443,053,510. Circulated examples of the 1983 Royal Arms £1 have sold for between £1.17 and £13.24, with an average of £4.57 across 31 sales, based on sold prices tracked by MyCoinage, late 2026. Those are single coins sold one at a time, not a price for a jar full.
The coins to look for are the four capital city designs of 2010 and 2011, described in the Capital Cities £1 set guide.
| Round £1 | Mintage | Sold prices (MyCoinage, late 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Edinburgh | 935,000 | Brilliant uncirculated: £2.76 to £30.00, 90-day median £19.99 (36 sales) |
| 2011 Cardiff | 1,615,000 | Circulated (VF): £1.78 to £7.59, median £5.98. Uncirculated: £5.43 to £11.85 |
| 1983 Royal Arms | 443,053,510 | Circulated (VF): £1.17 to £13.24, average £4.57 across all grades |
The 2011 Edinburgh £1 is the lowest mintage round pound issued for circulation. The 2011 Cardiff £1 is the next scarcest. For every other date, see the full £1 coin values guide, or use is my £1 rare? to check a single coin quickly.
One caution: because so many fakes were in circulation, a round pound that looks odd is more likely to be a counterfeit than a mint error. The guide to spotting a fake £1 coin covers the tell-tale signs.
What to do next
Tip the coins out and sort them into three piles: capital city designs, anything that still has full mint lustre, and everything else. Look up the first two piles with the coin value checker before deciding.
Take the third pile to your own bank and pay it into your account. Phone ahead if you have more than a few pounds' worth.
If you decide to keep the better ones, you can add them to your collection with the physical coin tracker on MyCoinage, which is free to start, and follow what they sell for over time.
FAQ
Are old round pound coins still legal tender?
No. The round £1 coin lost its legal tender status at midnight on 15 October 2017, according to the Royal Mint. Shops, machines and other businesses no longer accept it. Only the 12-sided £1 coin, introduced in 2017, is legal tender at that denomination today.
Can you still take old pound coins to the bank?
Yes, usually. The Royal Mint says round £1 coins can still be deposited into a customer's account at most high-street banks. Arrangements, including deposit limits, vary from bank to bank, and banks are under no legal obligation, so check with your own bank first.
Can you take old pound coins to the Post Office?
Sometimes. Royal Mint guidance says larger Post Office branches are usually willing to accept demonetised coins in exchange for goods and services, but they are not obliged to. Ask at a main branch before you travel, and use your own bank if the branch declines.
Are old round pound coins worth anything?
Yes, at least £1 each at your bank. Most dates sell to collectors for a few pounds at most. The scarce ones are the 2011 Edinburgh (935,000 minted) and 2011 Cardiff (1,615,000 minted), with uncirculated Edinburgh coins selling for around £20, based on sold prices tracked by MyCoinage, late 2026.
What can I do with old round pound coins my bank will not take?
You can donate them. RNIB and The Children's Trust both state that they accept old British currency. You can also sell them to collectors: the scarcer capital city designs of 2010 and 2011 sell for more than face value.
Sources
- The Royal Mint: £1 coin design and specifications
- The Royal Mint: How can I dispose of coins no longer in circulation?
- GOV.UK (HM Treasury): Goodbye round pound, use by October 15
- Bank of England: What is legal tender?
- RNIB: Donate your foreign and old currency
- Gazette News: old pound coins still missing (Royal Mint figures, 2020)