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

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. Free for up to 25 coins; Pro unlocks unlimited tracking, every grade-by-grade chart, and an insurance-grade PDF inventory.

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.

More from Administrator

UK coin market roundup 18 May – 24 May 2026: 1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary leads at £2,500 25 May 2026 UK coin market roundup 11 May – 17 May 2026: 1 Pound - Elizabeth II Scottish Lion; Silver Proof leads at £259 18 May 2026 UK coin market roundup 4 May – 10 May 2026: 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Kew Gardens; Silver Proof leads at £272 11 May 2026