The 100 Most Valuable UK Coins of 2026

The top 5

#1

5 Pounds - George IV

1826 · 5 Pounds

£155,000

#2

1 Crown - William IV

1831 · 1 Crown

£39,000

#3

2 Pounds - Victoria 3rd portrait

1893 · 2 Sovereigns

£30,000

#4

5 Pounds - Victoria 2nd portrait

1887 · 5 Pounds

£30,000

#5

5 Pounds - Victoria 3rd portrait

1893 · 5 Pounds

£30,000

The full 100, ranked by realised price

Every coin in the table below is a verified realised sale, not an asking price. Click any coin to open its full price history, including grade-by-grade sales going back five years. The 🔍 eBay link goes directly to sold-listings only for that coin.

#	Coin	Year	Denomination	Mintage	Realised £	Identify
#1	5 Pounds - George IV	1826	5 Pounds	150	£155,000	🔍 eBay →
#2	1 Crown - William IV	1831	1 Crown	100	£39,000	🔍 eBay →
#3	2 Pounds - Victoria 3rd portrait	1893	2 Sovereigns	773	£30,000	🔍 eBay →
#4	5 Pounds - Victoria 2nd portrait	1887	5 Pounds	797	£30,000	🔍 eBay →
#5	5 Pounds - Victoria 3rd portrait	1893	5 Pounds	773	£30,000	🔍 eBay →
#6	2 Pounds - Victoria 2nd portrait	1887	2 Sovereigns	797	£30,000	🔍 eBay →
#7	½ Sovereign - George III	1817	½ Sovereign	—	£26,000	🔍 eBay →
#8	2 Pounds - William IV	1831	2 Sovereigns	225	£21,500	🔍 eBay →
#9	2 Pounds - George VI	1937	2 Sovereigns	1	£18,000	🔍 eBay →
#10	½ Sovereign - George IV	1826	½ Sovereign	—	£18,000	🔍 eBay →
#11	1 Crown - Victoria 1st portrait	1839	1 Crown	—	£17,000	🔍 eBay →
#12	5 Pounds - George V	1911	5 Pounds	—	£12,000	🔍 eBay →
#13	2 Pounds - George V	1911	2 Sovereigns	—	£12,000	🔍 eBay →
#14	1 Sovereign - George IV	1821	1 Sovereign	—	£8,000	🔍 eBay →
#15	½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II 3rd portrait; Proof	1985	½ Sovereign	—	£7,155	🔍 eBay →
#16	1 Sovereign - William IV	1831	1 Sovereign	—	£7,000	🔍 eBay →
#17	½ Sovereign - Victoria 3rd portrait	1893	½ Sovereign	773	£6,500	🔍 eBay →
#18	1 Sovereign - Victoria 3rd portrait	1893	1 Sovereign	737	£6,500	🔍 eBay →
#19	1 Guinea - George III 6th portrait	1813	1 Guinea	—	£6,000	🔍 eBay →
#20	1 Sovereign - George VI	1937	1 Sovereign	1	£5,887	🔍 eBay →
#21	1 Crown - George IV 1st portrait	1821	1 Crown	—	£5,500	🔍 eBay →
#22	1 Sovereign - Edward VII	1902	1 Sovereign	—	£4,800	🔍 eBay →
#23	1 Sovereign - George III	1817	1 Sovereign	—	£4,800	🔍 eBay →
#24	5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Royal Wedding; Gold Proof	2011	5 Pounds	—	£4,687	🔍 eBay →
#25	1 Sovereign - George V	1911	1 Sovereign	—	£4,000	🔍 eBay →
#26	½ Sovereign - Victoria 2nd portrait	1887	½ Sovereign	797	£2,995	🔍 eBay →
#27	1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary	1989	1 Sovereign	—	£2,500	🔍 eBay →
#28	1 Pound - Elizabeth II Last Round Pound; Gold Proof	2016	1 Pound	581	£2,500	🔍 eBay →
#29	1 Shilling - William IV	1831	1 Shilling	—	£2,000	🔍 eBay →
#30	2 Pounds - Edward VII	1902	2 Sovereigns	—	£2,000	🔍 eBay →
#31	1 Sovereign - Victoria 2nd portrait	1887	1 Sovereign	797	£2,000	🔍 eBay →
#32	5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Una and The Lion; Silver Proof	2019	5 Pounds	—	£1,930	🔍 eBay →
#33	½ Sovereign - George VI	1937	½ Sovereign	1	£1,900	🔍 eBay →
#34	50 Pence - Elizabeth II Christopher Ironside; Gold Proof	2013	50 Pence	257	£1,800	🔍 eBay →
#35	50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Christopher Ironside	2013	50 Pence	—	£1,800	🔍 eBay →
#36	1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Golden Jubilee	2002	1 Sovereign	—	£1,792	🔍 eBay →
#37	2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 75th VE Day; Gold Proof	2020	2 Pounds	—	£1,761	🔍 eBay →
#38	2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Rugby World Cup	1999	2 Pounds	—	£1,700	🔍 eBay →
#39	1 Crown - George IV 2nd portrait	1825	1 Crown	—	£1,615	🔍 eBay →
#40	2 Pounds - George IV	1823	2 Sovereigns	—	£1,600	🔍 eBay →
#41	½ Sovereign - George V	1911	½ Sovereign	—	£1,600	🔍 eBay →
#42	50 Pence - Elizabeth II 5th Portrait; Peter Rabbit	2020	50 Pence	—	£1,480	🔍 eBay →
#43	50 Pence - Elizabeth II Peter Rabbit; Gold Proof	2020	50 Pence	278	£1,480	🔍 eBay →
#44	1 Sovereign - George IV	1825	1 Sovereign	—	£1,400	🔍 eBay →
#45	1 Sovereign - Victoria 1st portrait; St George	1871	1 Sovereign	—	£1,332	🔍 eBay →
#46	1 Sovereign - Charles III Bullion	2026	1 Sovereign	—	£1,300	🔍 eBay →
#47	1 Guinea - George III Pattern	1774	1 Guinea	—	£1,119	🔍 eBay →
#48	1 Guinea - George III 4th portrait	1774	1 Guinea	—	£1,119	🔍 eBay →
#49	1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait	1974	1 Sovereign	—	£1,114	🔍 eBay →
#50	1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Platinum Jubilee	2022	1 Sovereign	—	£1,078	🔍 eBay →
#51	1 Sovereign - Charles III	2026	1 Sovereign	—	£1,057	🔍 eBay →
#52	1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 1st portrait	1957	1 Sovereign	—	£1,050	🔍 eBay →
#53	1 Sovereign - Charles III Coronation	2023	1 Sovereign	—	£1,027	🔍 eBay →
#54	1 Crown - George III	1818	1 Crown	—	£1,000	🔍 eBay →
#55	1 Sovereign - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Diamond Jubilee	2012	1 Sovereign	—	£975	🔍 eBay →
#56	1 Sovereign - Charles III Life of Queen Victoria; Gold Proof	2026	1 Sovereign	—	£925	🔍 eBay →
#57	½ Crown - Edward VII	1902	½ Crown	—	£925	🔍 eBay →
#58	5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Gothic Crown Quartered Arms; Silver Proof	2021	5 Pounds	—	£925	🔍 eBay →
#59	1 Crown - Victoria 2nd portrait	1887	1 Crown	—	£900	🔍 eBay →
#60	½ Sovereign - Edward VII	1902	½ Sovereign	—	£777	🔍 eBay →
#61	½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign Anniversary	1989	½ Sovereign	—	£772	🔍 eBay →
#62	½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II 4th portrait	2005	½ Sovereign	—	£772	🔍 eBay →
#63	2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Agatha Christie; Silver Piedfort	2020	2 Pounds	—	£700	🔍 eBay →
#64	1 Dollar British Trade Dollar	1895	2 Shillings 4 Pence	—	£700	🔍 eBay →
#65	½ Sovereign - Charles III Coronation	2023	½ Sovereign	—	£695	🔍 eBay →
#66	½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Platinum Jubilee	2022	½ Sovereign	—	£625	🔍 eBay →
#67	5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Gothic Crown Portrait; Silver Proof	2021	5 Pounds	—	£593	🔍 eBay →
#68	1 Penny - William IV	1831	1 Penny	—	£580	🔍 eBay →
#69	50 Pence - Elizabeth II Kew Gardens; Silver Proof	2009	50 Pence	—	£568	🔍 eBay →
#70	1 Crown - Edward VII	1902	1 Crown	—	£550	🔍 eBay →
#71	1 Crown - Victoria 3rd portrait	1893	1 Crown	—	£550	🔍 eBay →
#72	5 Pounds - Charles III William IV Crown; Silver Proof	2026	5 Pounds	—	£490	🔍 eBay →
#73	5 Pounds - Charles III The Angel; Silver Proof	2026	5 Pounds	—	£490	🔍 eBay →
#74	5 Pounds - Charles III 2 oz Fine Silver	2026	5 Pounds	—	£490	🔍 eBay →
#75	½ Sovereign - Elizabeth II 2nd portrait	1980	½ Sovereign	—	£481	🔍 eBay →
#76	5 Pounds - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; 2 oz Fine Silver	2021	5 Pounds	—	£424	🔍 eBay →
#77	10 Pounds - Elizabeth II 3rd portrait; 1/10 oz Fine Gold	1997	10 Pounds	—	£410	🔍 eBay →
#78	½ Crown - George III 1st portrait	1816	½ Crown	—	£406	🔍 eBay →
#79	¼ Sovereign - Charles III Coronation	2023	¼ Sovereign	—	£395	🔍 eBay →
#80	1 Pound - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; 1/2 oz Fine Silver	2013	1 Pound	—	£374	🔍 eBay →
#81	2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Unicorn of Scotland; Silver Proof	2017	2 Pounds	—	£367	🔍 eBay →
#82	¼ Sovereign - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Diamond Jubilee	2012	¼ Sovereign	137	£365	🔍 eBay →
#83	1 Crown - George V 'Wreath' Crown	1927	1 Crown	2	£360	🔍 eBay →
#84	5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Lion of England; 2 oz Fine Silver	2022	5 Pounds	—	£357	🔍 eBay →
#85	¼ Sovereign - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; Platinum Jubilee	2022	¼ Sovereign	—	£350	🔍 eBay →
#86	2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; 1 oz Fine Silver	2014	2 Pounds	—	£345	🔍 eBay →
#87	5 Pounds - Charles III The Penny Drops	2026	5 Pounds	—	£338	🔍 eBay →
#88	1 Farthing - William IV	1831	1 Farthing	—	£320	🔍 eBay →
#89	5 Pounds - Charles III St George & The Dragon; Silver Proof	2024	5 Pounds	—	£301	🔍 eBay →
#90	2 Pounds - Charles III 1 oz Fine Silver	2026	2 Pounds	—	£300	🔍 eBay →
#91	5 Pounds - Charles III Coronation; Silver Proof	2023	5 Pounds	—	£292	🔍 eBay →
#92	5 Pounds - Charles III 2 oz Fine Silver	2025	5 Pounds	—	£292	🔍 eBay →
#93	5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Edward VII; Silver Proof	2022	5 Pounds	—	£285	🔍 eBay →
#94	50 Pence - Charles III Concorde; Silver Piedfort	2026	50 Pence	—	£267	🔍 eBay →
#95	2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy; Silver Proof	2016	2 Pounds	—	£263	🔍 eBay →
#96	50 Pence - Elizabeth II Peter Rabbit; Silver Proof	2016	50 Pence	—	£261	🔍 eBay →
#97	1 Florin - Edward VII	1902	1 Florin	—	£260	🔍 eBay →
#98	1 Pound - Elizabeth II Scottish Lion; Silver Proof	1999	1 Pound	—	£259	🔍 eBay →
#99	50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Athletics	2009	50 Pence	—	£256	🔍 eBay →
#100	50 Pence - Charles III Monopoly; Strike Your Own	2025	50 Pence	—	£250	🔍 eBay →

The most valuable 50p coins

50p coins dominate British change-finder collecting. The valuable ones on this list are almost all silver-proof or gold-proof versions issued in collector packs — the circulating cupro-nickel coins of the same design sell for £5 to a few hundred pounds, not thousands. The famous 2009 Kew Gardens circulating coin trades around £150–£250. The silver piedfort version of the same design clears £1,500.

If you are change-hunting, the page that actually matters for you is our rare 50p coins UK guide, ranked by mintage rather than top-of-range proof value.

1. 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Christopher Ironside; Gold Proof — 2013 — £1,800
2. 50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Christopher Ironside — 2013 — £1,800
3. 50 Pence - Elizabeth II 5th Portrait; Peter Rabbit — 2020 — £1,480
4. 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Peter Rabbit; Gold Proof — 2020 — £1,480
5. 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Kew Gardens; Silver Proof — 2009 — £568
6. 50 Pence - Charles III Concorde; Silver Piedfort — 2026 — £267
7. 50 Pence - Elizabeth II Peter Rabbit; Silver Proof — 2016 — £261
8. 50 Pence - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Athletics — 2009 — £256
9. 50 Pence - Charles III Monopoly; Strike Your Own — 2025 — £250

The most valuable £2 coins

£2 commemoratives have produced more affordable rarities than any other modern circulating denomination. The 2002 Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 has a circulating mintage of 485,500 and sells for £30–£80 in change-grade condition; silver proof versions sit much higher. The 2023 Atlantic Salmon £2 proofs and the 2017 William Shakespeare designs round out the affordable end of this list. For valuations of every £2 commemorative since 1986, see our £2 coin values guide.

1. 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 75th VE Day; Gold Proof — 2020 — £1,761
2. 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; Rugby World Cup — 1999 — £1,700
3. 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Agatha Christie; Silver Piedfort — 2020 — £700
4. 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Unicorn of Scotland; Silver Proof — 2017 — £367
5. 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II 4th portrait; 1 oz Fine Silver — 2014 — £345
6. 2 Pounds - Charles III 1 oz Fine Silver — 2026 — £300
7. 2 Pounds - Elizabeth II Shakespeare, Tragedy; Silver Proof — 2016 — £263

The most valuable £1 coins

The 12-sided £1 introduced in 2017 has produced a small number of valuable trial pieces and proof variants. The standard circulating coin is hundreds of millions strong and worth face value. The 2017 trial pieces used to test vending machines before release are the only genuine rarities — one sold for £2,500 in 2018. Gold and silver proof versions of the Capital Cities and Royal Shield designs round out this list.

1. 1 Pound - Elizabeth II Last Round Pound; Gold Proof — 2016 — £2,500
2. 1 Pound - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; 1/2 oz Fine Silver — 2013 — £374
3. 1 Pound - Elizabeth II Scottish Lion; Silver Proof — 1999 — £259

The most valuable gold sovereigns

Sovereigns dominate any honest "most valuable" ranking of British coins for a simple reason: they carry both intrinsic gold value and numismatic premium. The bullion floor (around £450 at today’s spot) means even a worn common-date sovereign is worth real money. Above the bullion line, the rare dates run for tens of thousands. The 1819 George III sovereign (3,574 struck) and the 1879 London no-die-number variety are the two most-coveted dates. The 1937 George VI proof set sovereigns are six-figure pieces.

For the deep dive on every monarch, mintmark and rare date, see our gold sovereign values guide.

1. 5 Pounds - George IV — 1826 — £155,000
2. 2 Pounds - Victoria 3rd portrait — 1893 — £30,000
3. 5 Pounds - Victoria 2nd portrait — 1887 — £30,000
4. 5 Pounds - Victoria 3rd portrait — 1893 — £30,000
5. 2 Pounds - Victoria 2nd portrait — 1887 — £30,000
6. ½ Sovereign - George III — 1817 — £26,000
7. 2 Pounds - William IV — 1831 — £21,500
8. 2 Pounds - George VI — 1937 — £18,000
9. ½ Sovereign - George IV — 1826 — £18,000
10. 5 Pounds - George V — 1911 — £12,000

The most valuable crown coins

The crown is Britain’s five-shilling silver piece, struck on and off since Edward VI. The 1953 Coronation crown and the 1937 Coronation proof are the modern headliners. Earlier crowns — particularly the 1935 Rocking Horse and the 1839 Una and the Lion proof £5 — sit at the very top of any UK coin ranking. The Una and the Lion is widely regarded as the most beautiful British coin ever struck. For mintage figures and dates across the whole crown series, see our crown coin values guide.

1. 1 Crown - William IV — 1831 — £39,000
2. 1 Crown - Victoria 1st portrait — 1839 — £17,000
3. 1 Crown - George IV 1st portrait — 1821 — £5,500
4. 1 Crown - George IV 2nd portrait — 1825 — £1,615
5. 1 Crown - George III — 1818 — £1,000

The most valuable pre-decimal coins

Pre-decimal Britain (everything before 15 February 1971) produced the coins that defined British numismatics for three centuries. The standout rarities sit in three places: the 1933 George V penny (seven known), the 1952 George VI penny, and the long tail of Victorian and Edwardian shillings, florins and half-crowns in proof condition. The 1937 Edward VIII proof set — struck before the abdication and not released — is arguably the most desirable single object in 20th-century British numismatics.

1. 1 Guinea - George III 6th portrait — 1813 — £6,000
2. 1 Shilling - William IV — 1831 — £2,000
3. 1 Guinea - George III Pattern — 1774 — £1,119
4. 1 Guinea - George III 4th portrait — 1774 — £1,119
5. 1 Dollar British Trade Dollar — 1895 — £700
6. 1 Penny - William IV — 1831 — £580
7. 1 Farthing - William IV — 1831 — £320
8. 1 Florin - Edward VII — 1902 — £260

Valuable old pence and farthings

None of the pre-decimal pence make our top-100 because the £250 floor is set by gold and silver crowns — not because old pennies aren’t collectable. They very much are. Here are the ones worth checking for if you have a tin of old change in the loft.

• The 1933 George V penny is the headline rarity. Seven are known. The last public sale crossed £72,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2016. If you think you have one, get it authenticated by PCGS or NGC before doing anything else.
• The 1952 George VI penny — an unannounced strike at the end of the reign. Realised range: £5,000–£15,000 depending on grade. See our 1952 penny guide for the documentary trail.
• The 1831 William IV penny — a proof issue from the Coronation set, around £500–£800 in choice grade.
• The 1841 Victoria Young Head penny with no colon after REG — an early die variety. £100–£200 circulated, more in proof.
• The 1895 Victoria Old Head penny with 2 mm wide date — a die variety worth £80–£120 to a specialist.

For the wider valuation context across every pre-decimal denomination, see our pre-decimal coins guide and the farthing values guide.

Error coins worth checking for

Genuine mint errors are a separate value category. They don’t appear on the main ranking above because we track them in a separate catalogue, but two have entered the cultural mainstream and are worth flagging.

• The 2008 undated 20p is a mule produced when an obverse die from the new Matthew Dent reverse design was paired with a reverse that lacked the year. Both sides are dateless. An estimated 250,000 entered circulation. Realised range: £50–£100 in circulated condition, £200+ in BU.
• The 1983 New Pence 2p — a transitional error using the pre-1982 “NEW PENCE” reverse die when the legend had already changed to “TWO PENCE.” Realised range: £500–£1,000 in proof condition.

For the complete catalogue of UK error types — mule, off-centre, brockage, lamination, clipped planchet, double-die — see our UK error coins catalogue.

Do you have one? A four-step identification check

If a coin in your collection might be on this list, work through these four checks in order.

1. Date. The first thing to identify is the year. The single biggest value driver on this entire ranking is date. A 1933 George V penny is a six-figure coin; a 1934 George V penny is worth a few pence. Use a loupe and good light — the date is usually below the bust on pre-decimal coins, on the reverse on modern commemoratives.
2. Weight. Use a digital scale that reads to 0.01 g. Cross-reference against our coin weight identifier tool. A modern 50p weighs 8.00 g; a gold sovereign weighs 7.988 g; a silver crown weighs 28.28 g. A coin that is more than 5% off the published weight is almost certainly a counterfeit or a wrong-planchet error.
3. Diameter. Measure with a digital caliper, or use our coin diameter identifier tool. Diameter is harder to fake than weight because casting shrinks the metal slightly. A genuine 1935 Rocking Horse crown is 38.6 mm; cast counterfeits commonly run 37–38 mm.
4. Design and reverse legend. Compare against the catalogue page on MyCoinage. Look at the relief sharpness, the lettering style and the privy / mintmark position. Counterfeit modern proofs are common — the relief on a genuine Royal Mint proof is razor-sharp; the relief on a cast counterfeit is soft.

If all four checks line up, take a square-on photo of both sides under daylight, look up the coin on our catalogue and read the grade-by-grade realised prices. That tells you what the coin is actually worth in your current condition.

How to sell a valuable UK coin without getting scammed

Match the venue to the value bracket. Sending a six-figure sovereign to a high-street pawnbroker is the most common way to lose money on a genuine rarity. Here is the honest decision tree.

Under £500 — eBay UK

For coins valued under £500, eBay UK is the cheapest route to market. List as auction with a reserve at 80% of recent sold-listings median. Use natural daylight photographs, both sides, square-on, in focus. Don’t clean the coin. Mention the date, denomination and weight in the title. Avoid “rare” in titles — eBay’s algorithm now penalises it.

£500–£5,000 — established UK dealer or specialist auction

This is the bracket where eBay risks start to hurt — PayPal disputes are weighted against high-value sellers, and counterfeit-claim chargebacks can take months to resolve. Take outright offers from Coincraft, Baldwin’s or the The Coin Cabinet. Compare three offers before accepting.

Over £5,000 — specialist auction consignment

For genuine rarities over £5,000 the only sensible route is a specialist consignment with Spink, Noonans or Baldwin’s. Hammer commissions sit at 15–20% but the net proceeds almost always beat a dealer’s outright offer because the buyer competition is real. Consign 4–6 weeks ahead of a themed sale where possible — sovereigns to the gold sale, milled silver to the British coins sale.

Is it genuine? Authentication for high-value pieces

For any UK coin you believe is worth over £500, third-party authentication multiplies sale price and removes buyer doubt. The three services UK collectors use are PCGS (US-based, dominant globally), NGC (US-based, opening UK office), and CGS UK (London, the only UK-resident service). All three grade on the Sheldon 70-point scale; all three encapsulate the coin in a tamper-evident plastic slab. Expect 4–8 weeks turnaround and around £30–£80 per coin depending on declared value.

An authenticated coin in a graded slab typically resells for 15–30% more than the same coin raw, and is far easier to sell at auction because the buyer doesn’t inherit grading risk. See our UK coin grading guide for the full grade scale and what each one means.

Sources and data freshness

The ranking on this page is rebuilt nightly from realised sales across the following sources:

• Spink — British coin auctions, milled and hammered silver and gold, 1900–present catalogue archive
• Baldwin’s — specialist British and Commonwealth, regular themed sales
• Noonans — (formerly DNW) British coins, banknotes and tokens
• eBay UK sold listings — modern circulating commemoratives, error coins, lower-value silver and gold

Total verified realised sales in our database: 25,849 — the floor below which a coin is excluded from this ranking is £250, the realised price of the 100th coin. Coins with thinner trade history are tracked on individual catalogue pages but excluded from this top-100 ranking until the data is robust.