Home Blog May 2026 UK coin market recap: 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary (1989) leads at £2,500
May 2026 UK coin market recap: 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary (1989) leads at £2,500

May 2026 UK coin market recap: 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary (1989) leads at £2,500

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Published 5 June 2026 · Updated 30 July 2026

Top 20 verified UK coin sales in May 2026

Every figure below is a realised auction sale, what the coin actually sold for at hammer or in a verified eBay UK transaction. Asking prices, dealer catalogues and active listings are excluded throughout.

Rank Coin Year Grade Source Realised
1 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary 1989 PR-70 EBAY UK £2,500
2 2 Pounds - Charles III JRR Tolkien; Gold Proof 2023 PR-65 EBAY UK £2,302
3 1 Sovereign - Charles III Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 2022 VF EBAY UK £1,843
4 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 75th VE Day; Gold Proof 2020 PR-65 EBAY UK £1,761
5 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary 1989 PR-65 EBAY UK £1,700
6 1 Sovereign - Charles III Bullion 2026 PR-70 EBAY UK £1,297
7 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Platinum Jubilee 2022 PR-65 EBAY UK £1,078
8 1 Sovereign - Charles III Coronation 2023 PR-70 EBAY UK £1,027
9 1 Sovereign - Charles III Bullion 2026 VF EBAY UK £894
10 1 Sovereign - Victoria 3rd portrait 1893 VF EBAY UK £864
11 1 Sovereign - Charles III Bullion 2026 VF EBAY UK £841
12 ½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II 4th portrait 2005 BU EBAY UK £772
13 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Agatha Christie; Silver Piedfort 2020 AG EBAY UK £700
14 ½ Sovereign - George V 1911 EF EBAY UK £580
15 ½ Crown - George III 1st portrait 1816 VF EBAY UK £406
16 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Kew Gardens; Silver Proof 2009 PR-65 EBAY UK £395
17 1 Crown - George III 1818 VF EBAY UK £392
18 10 Pounds - Elizabeth II 3rd portrait; 1/10 oz Fine Gold 1987 VF EBAY UK £387
19 1 Crown - George IV 1st portrait 1821 EF EBAY UK £354
20 5 Pounds - Charles III St George & The Dragon; Silver Proof 2024 AG EBAY UK £310

Most-traded UK coins in May 2026

Coins with the highest verified-sale frequency this month, useful as liquidity indicators for collectors thinking about exits.

Coin Denomination Sales Avg realised
50 Pence - Charles III Atlantic Salmon 50 Pence 45 £63
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Kew Gardens 50 Pence 25 £102
50 Pence - Charles III Coronation 50 Pence 22 £8
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 5th Portrait; Peter Rabbit 50 Pence 21 £22
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 5th Portrait; Wallace and Gromit 50 Pence 21 £18
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Flopsy Bunny 50 Pence 21 £6
2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Great Fire of London 2 Pounds 19 £11
5 Shillings - George VI Festival of Britain 5 Shillings 19 £8
50 Pence - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Beatrix Potter 50 Pence 19 £3
50 Pence - Elizabeth II Beatrix Potter; Silver Proof 50 Pence 18 £86

Market signals

2635 verified UK coin sales recorded between 1 May and 31 May 2026, totalling £88,548 in realised volume. Average sale: £34.

Source breakdown by realised volume:

  • EBAY UK, 2635 sales, £88,548 realised

What this means for collectors

The top sale of May 2026 was the 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary (1989) at £2,500. Each entry in the tables above links to the coin's full grade-by-grade price history, mintage and authentication notes on MyCoinage.

If you're tracking your own collection, add the coin to your watchlist to be notified the next time a verified sale is recorded.

Track the UK coin market in real time

MyCoinage aggregates realised auction prices from Spink, Baldwin's, Noonans, Heritage and verified eBay UK sales. It's 100% free: unlimited tracking, every grade-by-grade chart, and an insurance-grade PDF inventory, no card, no tiers.

Browse the catalogue →

All figures: realised sales only, GBP at sale date. Source mix: Spink, Baldwin's, Noonans, Heritage, eBay UK verified, plus MyCoinage's verified user-submitted records.

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