Are £5 coins legal tender?

Yes — UK £5 commemorative crowns are legal tender at £5 face value, but they are very rarely accepted in shops. Banks will exchange them at face value but no shop is obliged to. The Royal Mint has issued £5 commemorative crowns continuously since 1990 (the format replaced the old 25-pence crown). All UK £5 crowns are capital-gains-tax exempt for UK residents because of their legal-tender status — making the silver and gold proof £5 variants tax-efficient holdings. See our CGT-exempt UK coins guide.

How much is a £5 commemorative coin worth?

A common-date cupronickel £5 commemorative crown trades close to face value: £5-12 in worn condition, £12-25 in BU sealed in original Royal Mint card. Silver proof £5 crowns (mintage typically 5,000-15,000) trade at £100-180. Silver Piedfort variants (mintage 1,500-3,500) at £200-380. Gold proof £5 crowns (mintage typically 200-1,500 depending on year and theme) at £3,500-6,500 at current gold prices. The Music Legends £5 crown series and Royal Wedding commemoratives are the strongest secondary-market performers.

What are £5 commemorative coins issued for?

Royal events and major anniversaries. The £5 crown is the Royal Mint's flagship commemorative format. Major themes: Royal weddings (Charles and Diana 1981, William and Kate 2011, Harry and Meghan 2018, Eugenie 2018), jubilees (Silver 1977, Golden 2002, Diamond 2012, Sapphire 2017, Platinum 2022), coronations (1953, 2023), major anniversaries (Queen Mother 80th 1980, 90th 1990, 100th 2000), music legends (David Bowie 2020, Queen 2020, Elton John 2020-2024, Paul McCartney 2024), and cultural milestones (Olympic 2008-2012, James Bond 2020, Harry Potter 2022-2024).

What are the rarest £5 coins?

In modern issue: the 1995 gold proof £5 End of WWII (mintage 1,200) at £3,500-5,500. The 2002 gold proof £5 Golden Jubilee with the gold matt finish (mintage 1,500) at £3,800-5,500. The 1990 gold proof £5 Queen Mother 90th Birthday (mintage estimated 2,500) at £3,200-4,500. In specimen format: pattern £5 crowns from 1981 (Charles and Diana wedding) and 1986 (Commonwealth Games) have appeared at auction at £5,000+ when offered. Among the music-legends series, the 2020 Queen David Bowie Piedfort (mintage 1,000) is the strongest secondary-market climber.

How do £5 crowns differ from £5 sovereigns?

Different coins entirely. £5 commemorative crowns are 38.61 mm cupronickel/silver/gold proof coins issued for cultural and royal events — face value £5, weight 28.28 g (cupronickel) or 39.94 g (silver proof) or 39.94 g (gold proof). £5 sovereigns (also called "quintuple sovereigns") are 38.61 mm 22-carat gold bullion-and-collector coins struck in tiny numbers (mintage typically 250-1,500) for gold investment and high-end collecting. A £5 sovereign weighs 39.94 g of which 36.61 g is pure gold (5x a regular sovereign's gold content). Realised price for a 2023 Charles III £5 Coronation sovereign: £3,800-4,800.

How can I sell a £5 coin?

For common cupronickel commemorative crowns: eBay UK — expect £5-25 each depending on theme and BU vs worn. For silver proofs and silver Piedforts: eBay UK with sold-listings cross-check, or specialist dealers. For gold proofs (£3,500+): consign to Spink, Baldwin's, Noonans for the strongest realisation. Avoid Westminster-style direct-mail buyers and pawn shops, who consistently undervalue commemorative crowns by 30-60%. See our where to sell rare coins UK guide.

When did the £5 crown replace the 25p crown?

In 1990. From 1971 (Decimal Day) to 1990, the British "crown" denomination kept the old face value of 5 shillings = 25 pence in cupronickel form. The 25p crown ran for 19 years across multiple commemorative themes (1972 Silver Wedding, 1977 Silver Jubilee, 1980 Queen Mother 80th, 1981 Charles and Diana, 1986 Commonwealth Games). On 1 May 1990 the Royal Mint upgraded the denomination to £5 face value (effective with the 1990 Queen Mother 90th Birthday issue). The 25p crowns are still legal tender but no new ones have been issued since 1986. See our crown coin values UK guide for the pre-decimal and 25p crown history.

How do I authenticate a £5 commemorative crown?

Three checks. (1) Weight: cupronickel £5 = 28.28 g; silver proof = 39.94 g; gold proof = 39.94 g. (2) Diameter: 38.61 mm flat across (smaller than the older crown of 38.61 mm same-size; the 1990+ crown standardised at this diameter). (3) Edge inscription: all £5 crowns carry a milled edge with date and "DECUS ET TUTAMEN" or theme-specific inscription. For high-value gold proofs and silver Piedforts, professional grading by PCGS or NGC adds 15-25% to realised price. Counterfeit £5 commemorative crowns are uncommon (the format is too low-value to counterfeit at scale) but counterfeit gold proof £5s do exist and are the high-risk authentication target.

Are the Music Legends £5 coins worth collecting?

Yes — the Music Legends £5 series is the strongest-performing modern Royal Mint £5 programme. Eight artists released so far: Queen (2020), David Bowie (2020), Elton John (2020 + further releases), The Who (2021), Paul McCartney (2024), The Rolling Stones (2022), plus further reissues. BU coloured editions trade at £25-65; silver proofs £120-220; silver Piedforts £280-450; gold proofs £3,800-5,500. The Queen-themed £5 (2020 inaugural Music Legends issue) is the strongest secondary-market performer. See our Music Legends £5 series guide.

How do I store £5 commemorative crowns?

For BU cupronickel commemoratives: keep in original Royal Mint card (do not remove from packaging; BU value depends on the card). For silver proofs: keep in original Royal Mint clamshell case with numbered Certificate of Authenticity; the case provides UV-protected storage and authentication. For gold proofs (£3,500+): consider professional encapsulation by PCGS or NGC; the slab provides physical protection and grade certification adding 15-25% to resale value. Insurance: most home-contents policies cap collectable cover at £1,500-3,000 per item; for a £5 collection >£5,000, specialist coin insurance is recommended. See our coin collection insurance UK guide.

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Last updated 5 May 2026 · Written by Connor Jones, Editor

£5 Coin Values UK: Commemorative Crowns From 1990 to 2026

The £5 commemorative crown replaced the older 25p crown in 1990 and has been the Royal Mint's flagship big-format commemorative ever since. Issued for royal weddings, jubilees, coronations, music legends, the Olympics, James Bond, Harry Potter and more. This guide covers every format (cupronickel, silver proof, silver Piedfort, gold proof), the strongest secondary-market performers, and how to authenticate.

Last updated: 5 May 2026

In brief. Cupronickel £5 commemorative crown: £5-25. Silver proof (mintage 5,000-15,000): £100-180. Silver Piedfort (mintage 1,500-3,500): £200-380. Gold proof (mintage 200-1,500): £3,500-6,500. CGT-exempt as UK legal tender. Music Legends and Coronation series are the strongest performers.

Formats explained

Format	Weight	Mintage	BU/secondary range
Cupronickel BU	28.28 g	typically 50,000-200,000	£5-25
Silver proof	39.94 g (.925)	5,000-15,000	£100-180
Silver Piedfort	56.56 g (.925, double weight)	1,500-3,500	£200-380
Gold proof	39.94 g (.9999)	200-1,500	£3,500-6,500
Platinum proof (rare)	39.94 g (.9995)	50-500	£2,500-5,000

Featured £5 coins on MyCoinage

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Royal Wedding; Gold Proof

2011

up to £4,687

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Una and The Lion; Silver Proof

2019

up to £1,930

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Gothic Crown Quartered Arms; Silver Proof

2021

up to £925

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Gothic Crown Portrait; Silver Proof

2021

up to £593

5 Pounds - Charles III The Angel; Silver Proof

2026

up to £490

5 Pounds - Charles III William IV Crown; Silver Proof

2026

up to £490

5 Pounds - Charles III 2 oz Fine Silver

2026

up to £490

5 Pounds - Elizabeth II 5th portrait; 2 oz Fine Silver

2021

up to £424

Buy £5 commemorative crowns on eBay UK

Sold listings — what genuine £5 commemorative crowns actually trade for.

Music Legends £5 silver proof Royal Wedding £5 commemorative Platinum Jubilee £5 2022 Coronation £5 Charles III 2023 Harry Potter £5 silver proof 1990 Queen Mother £5 first issue

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Reviewed by Connor Jones, Editor. Every MyCoinage guide is fact-checked against realised auction sales before publication.

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