The Royal Mint's Music Legends programme honours the British acts who shaped global popular music. Launched
in 2020 with Queen, the series now spans Bowie, Elton John, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney,
John Lennon, George Michael, Iron Maiden, The Police, The Beatles and Spice Girls — with new acts added
every few months. This guide covers every release, the five variant tiers (BU, silver proof, silver Piedfort,
coloured silver proof, gold proof), realised auction prices, and what each version is actually worth on the
secondary market.
In brief. The Music Legends series is the Royal Mint's active £5 crown programme.
Each artist gets at least three variants: BU (cupronickel, £15-25 secondary),
silver proof (28.28 g .925, £75-150), silver Piedfort (double-thickness,
£130-220), often a coloured silver proof (£90-180) and a gold proof
(39.94 g 22ct, £2,500-4,500). Queen 2020 (the launch issue) is the most-collected; the gold proof
Piedforts (mintage typically 100-300) are the long-term-investment tier. UK gold variants are CGT-exempt.
Every Music Legends release (chronological)
| Year | Artist | BU secondary | Silver Proof | Silver Piedfort | Gold Proof |
|---|
| 2020 | Queen | £15-25 | £90-160 | £160-260 | £3,200-5,000 |
| 2020 | Elton John | £15-25 | £80-140 | £130-220 | £2,800-4,500 |
| 2020 | David Bowie | £20-35 | £100-180 | £180-280 | £3,500-5,200 |
| 2021 | The Who | £15-25 | £80-140 | £130-220 | £2,800-4,400 |
| 2022 | The Rolling Stones | £15-25 | £90-150 | £150-240 | £3,000-4,600 |
| 2023 | Iron Maiden | £25-40 | £110-180 | £200-320 | £3,400-5,000 |
| 2023 | George Michael | £15-30 | £90-160 | £150-240 | £2,800-4,400 |
| 2024 | Paul McCartney | £18-30 | £90-150 | £150-240 | £2,800-4,500 |
| 2024 | The Police | £15-25 | £80-140 | £130-220 | £2,800-4,400 |
| 2025 | John Lennon | £25-45 | £120-200 | £200-320 | £3,400-5,200 |
| 2025 | The Beatles | £25-45 | £130-220 | £220-360 | £3,500-5,500 |
| 2026 | Spice Girls | £15-25 (issue) | £90-150 (issue) | £150-240 (issue) | £2,800-4,500 (issue) |
Prices are typical eBay UK realised ranges for sealed Royal Mint packaging in 2026. Open-pack examples lose 30-50% of pack value. Mintage caps published on royalmint.com per variant; cross-check before assuming rarity.
The five variant tiers explained
BU (Brilliant Uncirculated) cupronickel
The entry tier. 28.28 g cupronickel coin in a Royal Mint card box with Certificate of Authenticity. Issue
price £13-15. Mintage typically 25,000-75,000 per artist. This is the version fans buy; it never appreciates
significantly because supply is comfortable but holds value at issue price plus a small premium for sealed
examples. Most-traded variant on eBay.
Silver Proof
28.28 g .925 sterling silver. Mirror-finish fields, frosted relief details, presented in a navy clamshell case
with numbered CoA. Issue price £90-120. Mintage typically 3,500-7,500. The choice for collectors who
want metal value alongside the design. Holds issue value within 5-10%; rarer artists (Bowie, Iron Maiden,
Lennon) trade at 20-40% premium to issue.
Silver Piedfort
Same .925 sterling silver as the proof but DOUBLE thickness — 56.56 g. Mintage capped much lower (typically
1,500-3,500). Significantly heavier in hand and visually distinctive. Issue price £200-280. Holds
or modestly appreciates from issue; the 2023 Iron Maiden and 2025 Lennon Piedforts have shown 30-50% appreciation
above issue.
Coloured Silver Proof
Standard 28.28 g .925 silver with applied colour to the artist's portrait or signature design element.
Mintage typically 1,000-3,500. Issue price £115-135. Polarising among collectors — fans love them,
purists prefer un-coloured. Secondary-market value reflects this split: roughly equal to or slightly above
standard silver proof for the popular artists, slightly below for the others.
Gold Proof
39.94 g 22-carat solid gold (.916 fineness, the same as gold sovereigns). Mintage typically 250-1,000 per
release; gold Piedfort variants 50-200. Issue price £3,500-6,000 depending on gold spot at issue. The
investment tier — as legal-tender UK gold these coins are CGT-exempt indefinitely. Holds gold floor plus
a numismatic premium of 20-50%; gold Piedforts trade at 50-100% premium to gold floor when sold.
Featured £5 Music Legends coins on MyCoinage
Browse every £5 in our catalogue →
Buy Music Legends £5 coins on eBay
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Queen £5 ↗
David Bowie £5 ↗
Elton John £5 ↗
Iron Maiden £5 ↗
John Lennon £5 ↗
The Beatles £5 ↗
Paul McCartney £5 ↗
George Michael £5 ↗
Rolling Stones £5 ↗
The Who £5 ↗
Spice Girls £5 ↗
Silver Piedfort variants ↗
Gold proof variants (sold) ↗
External references
Frequently asked questions
What is the Music Legends £5 series?
The Music Legends series is the Royal Mint's ongoing programme of commemorative £5 (Five Pounds) crowns honouring British music acts. The series began in 2020 with Queen and has grown to cover David Bowie, Elton John, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Michael, Iron Maiden, The Police, The Beatles and Spice Girls (with new acts added 2-3 times per year). Each release is issued in multiple variants: brilliant uncirculated (BU) cupronickel, silver proof, silver Piedfort, coloured silver proof, and gold proof.
Which Music Legends coin is the rarest?
The 2020 Queen Music Legends £5 was the inaugural issue and remains the most collected. Within the series, the lowest-mintage variants are typically the gold proof piedforts (often capped at 100-300 worldwide) and certain coloured silver proofs (capped at 1,000-3,500). The Iron Maiden 2025 release saw exceptional demand and certain variants sold out in hours; the John Lennon 2025 release similarly. Mintage caps are published on the Royal Mint listing for each variant; cross-check against actual realised auction prices for the truest measure of rarity.
How much is a Queen Music Legends £5 coin worth?
Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) Queen Music Legends £5 in the original Royal Mint pack trades at £15-25 on eBay UK. Silver proof variants trade at £75-130. Silver Piedforts at £130-220. Coloured silver proofs £90-180 depending on the specific portrait and condition. Gold proof variants (very limited mintage) realise £2,500-4,500 at auction. Open-pack BU coins (where the coin has been removed from the original capsule and card) lose 30-50% of pack value.
Are Music Legends coins legal tender?
Yes, every Music Legends £5 is genuine legal tender at face value (£5) issued by the Royal Mint and authorised by HM Treasury. They are not intended for circulation — the cupronickel BU is sold at issue at £13-15, the silver proofs at £90-120, the gold proofs at £3,500-6,000 — but they meet the legal definition of UK currency. This means UK gold sovereign / Britannia CGT exemptions extend to gold Music Legends variants as well.
How do I tell a real Music Legends coin from a copy?
Three quick checks. First, weight: the BU cupronickel weighs 28.28 g, the silver proof 28.28 g (.925 sterling), the silver Piedfort 56.56 g (double thickness), the gold proof 39.94 g (.916 22-carat). Second, the original Royal Mint card box and Certificate of Authenticity: every legitimate Music Legends release comes in branded packaging with a numbered CoA. Third, the "£5" denomination: look for sharp, clean lettering and crisp design relief. Cast counterfeits are rare on this series because the cupronickel BU sells at £15-25 — not enough margin to fake. The risk is on silver Piedfort and gold proof variants.
What's the difference between BU, silver proof and Piedfort?
BU (Brilliant Uncirculated): cupronickel coin in original card box. Sold at issue at £13-15; secondary market £15-30. Silver proof: 28.28 g .925 sterling silver, mirror-finish fields, frosted relief details. Sold at issue £90-120; secondary market £75-150. Silver Piedfort: same .925 silver but double-thickness (56.56 g). Sold at issue £200-280; secondary market £130-220. Coloured silver proof: silver proof with applied colour to the design. Sold at issue £115-135; secondary market £90-180. Gold proof: 39.94 g 22-carat solid gold, mintage typically 250-1,000 worldwide. Sold at issue £3,500-6,000; secondary market £2,500-4,500 (driven by gold price as much as numismatics).
Are Music Legends coins a good investment?
Mixed. The cupronickel BU and lower-tier silver proofs typically depreciate or hold value (similar to commemorative-pack series generally) — Royal Mint issue prices include a markup that secondary buyers don't pay. The Piedforts and limited-mintage gold proofs hold or appreciate, especially the early releases (2020 Queen, 2021 Bowie, 2022 The Who) which have established collector recognition. As a general rule: BU is for fans, Piedfort is for collectors, gold proof is for investors who specifically want a UK-CGT-exempt gold investment with numismatic upside.
Where should I buy Music Legends coins?
Three good options. Royal Mint direct: buy at issue from royalmint.com. New releases sell out the BU and Piedfort tiers within days; gold proofs within hours. eBay UK secondary market: best for older releases or specific variants no longer available from the mint. Filter to "completed/sold listings" first to verify the price tier. BNTA-member dealers: dealers specialising in modern Royal Mint commemoratives (Coincraft, Spink retail, Westminster Coins) carry deep stock and offer authenticity guarantees.
How do I store Music Legends coins?
Original Royal Mint packaging is the gold standard — never break the seal. The cardboard outer box and inner capsule were designed by the Royal Mint specifically for that coin and add 30-50% to secondary-market value compared to a loose coin. If you've already opened the pack, store the loose coin in coin-grade plastic flips or capsules (Lighthouse, Quickslab, AirTite). Avoid PVC-containing flips — they leach plasticisers that fog the coin surface over time. Keep coins dry, away from sunlight, and at stable temperature.
Will the Music Legends series ever end?
No announced end date. The Royal Mint has stated the series will continue "as long as there are British music legends to honour", and at the current 2-3 releases per year the programme could realistically run another decade. Patterns to watch: artists are usually selected to mark significant anniversaries (50th anniversary of a debut album, posthumous tribute, etc.) and the £5 denomination is reserved for solo artists and named bands. The Royal Mint has also added some artists to the £2 commemorative series (e.g. Sherlock Holmes, James Bond) but Music Legends specifically refers to the £5 crowns.
What happens to the value if the artist passes away?
Posthumous tributes typically lift the value of any existing coin honouring that artist by 20-50% in the year after the death. The 2016 Bowie passing pre-dated the Music Legends series so wasn't directly relevant, but more recently the George Michael (2023) and John Lennon (released 2025, ahead of his 85th-birthday-anniversary year) coins have benefited from heightened collector interest. The Royal Mint sometimes issues a special commemorative variant within 18 months of a high-profile death; these tend to be limited mintage and sell out quickly.
Can I get every Music Legends coin in one set?
No single Royal Mint product bundles the whole series — each release is sold individually. Some collectors build a complete BU run by buying at issue (£13-15 each) over the 5+ years the series has run; total cost for the BU set so far is £180-260. For silver proofs the equivalent run is £1,200-1,800; gold proofs £55,000-90,000+. eBay sometimes has multi-coin lots assembled by other collectors — usually priced 10-15% above the sum of the individual sold prices.
