Guide
Capital Cities £1 Set: London, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh (2010-2011)
Issued in 2010-2011, the Capital Cities £1 set is one of the most-collected modern round-pound series, and contains the rarest round £1 ever struck: the 2011 Edinburgh, mintage 935,000. Designed by Stuart Devlin, each coin features the heraldic shield of one of the four UK capital cities. This guide covers all four coins, current realised prices, the silver and gold proof variants, and the round-pound demonetisation.
Reviewed by Connor Jones, Editor
Last updated:
In brief. 2010 London (2.6 million): £5-15. 2010 Belfast (6.2 million):
£3-8. 2011 Cardiff (1.6 million): £8-25. 2011 Edinburgh
(935,000), the rarest round £1 ever struck: £15-55. All four
demonetised 15 October 2017; no longer legal tender. CGT-exempt as former UK legal tender.
The four coins
| Year | City | Mintage | Worn | BU sealed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | London | 2,635,000 | £3-7 | £10-20 |
| 2010 | Belfast | 6,205,000 | £2-5 | £6-15 |
| 2011 | Cardiff | 1,615,000 | £5-12 | £18-32 |
| 2011 | Edinburgh (rarest round £1) | 935,000 | £15-30 | £30-55 |
Design and history
Each Capital Cities £1 reverse depicts the heraldic shield of one of the four UK capital cities, designed by Stuart Devlin:
- London: the City of London arms, cross of St George with a sword (representing St Paul) in the upper-left quadrant.
- Belfast: arms granted in 1613, a ship and a seahorse with a bell (the city motto "Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus" means "For so much, what shall we give in return?").
- Cardiff: arms granted in 1906, a red dragon and a black goat from the Welsh heraldic tradition.
- Edinburgh: arms granted in 1732, a castle on a rock representing Edinburgh Castle.
Featured £1 coins on MyCoinage
Frequently asked questions
What is the Capital Cities £1 set?
The Capital Cities £1 set is a four-coin Royal Mint commemorative series issued in 2010 and 2011 to mark the four UK capital cities: London (2010), Belfast (2010), Cardiff (2011), and Edinburgh (2011). Each coin features a unique reverse design depicting the city's coat of arms or shield, designed by Stuart Devlin. The set is one of the most-collected modern round £1 series and was particularly noteworthy because the 2011 Edinburgh £1 has the lowest circulating mintage of any modern round pound at 935,000, making it the rarest 1983-2016 round £1 by a wide margin.
How much is the Edinburgh £1 worth?
The 2011 Edinburgh £1 trades at £15-30 in worn circulated condition, £30-55 in BU sealed in original Royal Mint card, £60-120 for slabbed PCGS or NGC graded examples in MS-65 or higher. The Edinburgh is the rarest round £1 ever struck for circulation (mintage 935,000 vs typical round £1 mintages of 50-200 million), and is the first coin most collectors look for when sorting through a coin jar. The silver proof variant (mintage 7,500) trades at £60-110; silver Piedfort (mintage 1,500) at £180-280.
What is the rarest coin in the Capital Cities set?
The 2011 Edinburgh £1 (mintage 935,000) is the rarest of the four. 2011 Cardiff (1,615,000) is the second-rarest. 2010 London (2,635,000) and 2010 Belfast (6,205,000) are more common. The Edinburgh and Cardiff together carry meaningful change-finder premium; the London and Belfast are more accessible for circulating collectors. Note that all Capital Cities £1s were demonetised on 15 October 2017 when the new 12-sided £1 replaced the round £1; collectors must hold these as numismatic items now, not legal tender.
Can I still spend a Capital Cities £1?
No. All round £1 coins (1983-2016, including the Capital Cities series) were demonetised on 15 October 2017 and are no longer legal tender. The Bank of England did run an exchange scheme through Post Offices for several months after demonetisation, but the deadline closed in 2018. As of 2026, round £1s including the Capital Cities series can only be sold to coin dealers or via auction. Most banks will not exchange them at face value, and the Royal Mint stopped accepting them in 2019. They are strictly collectables now.
How can I tell a Capital Cities £1 from other round £1s?
By the reverse design and date. 2010 London: shield with City of London arms, the cross of St George with sword in upper left quadrant. 2010 Belfast: shield with arms of Belfast (a ship and seahorse). 2011 Cardiff: shield with arms of Cardiff (red dragon, black goat). 2011 Edinburgh: shield with arms of Edinburgh (castle on a rock). Each coin is dated 2010 or 2011 in the obverse legend. The set is distinct from the broader 1984-2008 round £1 series which featured floral, bridge, and shield designs, the Capital Cities have unique heraldic-shield reverses unlike any earlier round pound.
Is the Capital Cities set a good investment?
Mixed. The Edinburgh and Cardiff are the strongest performers; both have appreciated 200-400% over face value since 2011, with the Edinburgh leading. The London and Belfast trade modestly above face value at £3-10 each, not strong appreciation. As a complete four-coin set in BU sealed Royal Mint cards, the value sits around £90-150, mostly driven by the Edinburgh component. As a long-term investment, the Edinburgh in slabbed MS-66+ is the strongest holding; common-grade Cardiff and especially London/Belfast pieces are sentimental rather than investment buys.
Where can I find a Capital Cities £1?
Since the round pound was demonetised in October 2017, you cannot find a Capital Cities £1 in change today. Sources: (1) eBay UK sold listings with grade verification, the cleanest source for graded slabs and sealed Royal Mint BU cards; (2) specialist UK coin dealers (Change Checker, Coincraft) for retail-priced individual coins; (3) UK auction houses for high-grade slabbed examples. Avoid Westminster-style direct-mail buyers, who consistently charge 50-100% premium over fair market.
Are silver and gold proof Capital Cities £1s available?
Yes. Each Capital Cities £1 was issued in silver proof (mintage 7,500-12,500) at £55-90 each on secondary market, and silver Piedfort (mintage 1,500-3,500) at £180-280. The Edinburgh silver Piedfort (mintage 1,500) is the most-collected and trades at £220-320. Gold proof variants (mintage 250-500 each) were issued in 2010-2011 at £1,500-2,400 secondary market. The four-coin gold proof Capital Cities collection (rare to find as a complete set) trades at £6,500-9,500. All are CGT-exempt as UK legal tender.
How does the Capital Cities set compare to the Round Pound series overall?
The Capital Cities set is one of 15 distinct round £1 reverse designs issued from 1983 to 2016. The full round £1 series includes the original Royal Arms (1983), four floral designs for England/Scotland/Wales/N Ireland (1984-1996), three bridges (2004-2007), three regional shields (2005-2008), the Royal Shield (2008-2015), and the Capital Cities (2010-2011). The 2011 Edinburgh and 2011 Cardiff Capital Cities are the rarest individual round pounds; the 2008 Royal Shield is the most common (over 700 million struck). See our £1 coin values UK guide for the full series breakdown.
How do I authenticate a Capital Cities £1?
Three checks. (1) Weight: 9.5 g ± 0.05 g for cupronickel; silver Piedfort is 19.0 g (double-thick); 1/2 oz gold proof is 15.97 g. (2) Diameter: 22.5 mm. (3) Edge: the round £1 has a milled edge with a unique edge inscription per series, Capital Cities £1s carry the edge inscription "DECUS ET TUTAMEN" ("an ornament and a safeguard"), the standard round £1 edge inscription used on most pre-2008 issues. Counterfeit round £1s exist (estimated 1-3% of pre-2017 round pound circulation was counterfeit), but Capital Cities are too low-value to counterfeit at scale; high-grade slabbed examples are the safest format for collectors.
Read next