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5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake (2025)
"Year of the Snake £5"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 2025 |
| Denomination | 5 Pounds |
| Face value | £5 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Copper-nickel |
| Weight | 28.280g |
| Diameter | 38.6mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Martin Jennings |
| Rev. artist | Chris Costello |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Uncrowned portrait of King Charles III left, legend around.
· CHARLES III · D · G · REX · F · D · 5 POUNDS ·
Depiction of a snake with the legend around.
YEAR OF THE SNAKE ·
5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake market value
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Affiliate5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake price history
Daily limit reached5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | £16.99 🔒 eBay | £16.99 (1) | – | £16.99 – £16.99 | 1 | 1 | 18-08-2026 | |
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| BU | £12.93 🔒 eBay | £14.23 | – | £8.50 – £20.85 | 30 | 30 | 12-10-2026 | |
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| VF | £12.15 🔒 eBay | £10.53 | – | £7.35 – £14.99 | 6 | 6 | 17-10-2026 | |
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About the 2025 5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake
The 2025 5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake is a collector 5 pounds coin, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 28.28g and measures 38.61mm across. Reverse design: Depiction of a snake with the legend around.
Common questions
How much is the 2025 5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake worth?
Verified sold prices for the 2025 5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake run from £10.53 to £16.99 across 3 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
Who designed the Year of the Snake £5 coin?
Chris Costello designed the reverse, which the Royal Mint says is based on the European adder. The portrait of King Charles III on the obverse is by Martin Jennings. Costello is also credited with the Royal Mint's Lunar Year of the Sheep £5 for 2027.
How many Year of the Snake £5 coins were made?
The Royal Mint has not published a struck or sold figure for the Brilliant Uncirculated coin, and its product page states no issue limit. The Mint's commemorative coin sales pages currently run only to coins dated 2023.
What does the Chinese character on the coin mean?
The royal proclamation that authorised the coin describes the reverse as a snake on a grassy landscape with the inscription YEAR OF THE SNAKE, the date and the Chinese character for a snake. The coin therefore carries both Latin and Chinese script.
Is the Year of the Snake £5 legal tender?
Yes, the proclamation makes it legal tender for any amount in the United Kingdom. The Royal Mint says the £5 coin is a commemorative issue that does not circulate and that most retailers do not accept it for everyday transactions.
How do I identify the 2025 5 Pounds - Charles III Year of the Snake?
Check the weight 28.28g and diameter 38.61mm and the metal (copper-nickel) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The Year of the Snake £5 belongs to the Royal Mint's Shēngxiào Collection, named after the Chinese zodiac and its twelve animals. The Mint says it first united British and Chinese traditions in official UK Lunar coins in 2014, and that the Year of the Snake is the twelfth instalment. It describes the snake as a symbol of wisdom and strength, and calls the range its first release dated 2025.
The Royal Mint's £5 design list starts its Lunar crowns with the Year of the Rat in 2020, and this is the second to bear the portrait of King Charles III, after the Year of the Dragon in 2024. The coin was sold to collectors and not issued for circulation.
The reverse is by Chris Costello. The Royal Mint says the snake is based on the European adder. The royal proclamation describes a snake upon a grassy landscape with the inscription YEAR OF THE SNAKE, the date of the year and the Chinese character for a snake, so the coin carries both Latin and Chinese script.
The obverse has Martin Jennings's portrait of King Charles III with the inscription CHARLES III D G REX F D 5 POUNDS and the date. The edge is milled. The same proclamation authorised gold and silver coins in the design.
Collecting notes
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin.
The Royal Mint has published no mintage or issue limit for the cupro-nickel coin, and its sales figures currently stop at 2023-dated coins. Fine relief on a crown of this size is easily marked by handling, so check the snake and the open field on any coin out of its pack.
Gold and silver proofs in a range of sizes share Costello's design. The next coin in the series is the Year of the Horse £5. It is legal tender, but the Royal Mint says the £5 coin does not circulate and most retailers do not accept it.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- £5 Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Lunar Year of the Snake 2025 UK £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Lunar Year of the Snake 2025 UK 1/4oz Gold Proof Coin, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for new gold, silver and five pound cupro-nickel coins including the Year of the Snake (notice 4571109, 15 March 2024), The Gazette (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Lunar Year of the Snake (range page), The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Lunar Coin Series, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Commemorative Coin Striking Numbers, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- What is a £5 Crown?, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
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