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UK Coin Identifier
Found a coin and not sure what it is? Answer four short questions and we'll match it to our catalogue of 4,655+ British coins, with realised auction values on every match.
- Step 1Portrait
- Step 2Denomination
- Step 3Year
- Step 4Finish
- Step 5Match
Step 1 — Whose portrait is on the coin?
Turn the coin to the obverse (heads side) and look at the portrait. Pick the closest match.
Tip: Most UK coins from the past 70 years carry Queen Elizabeth II. From 2022 onwards, new
issues feature King Charles III's left-facing portrait. If you're unsure between two monarchs, pick the
later one and check the year on the next step.
How the identifier works
Each step narrows the catalogue using a single attribute: portrait (which fixes the monarch and reign), denomination, year, and finish. By the final step you typically have one to three matches. Every match links to a full coin page with realised auction prices, mintage figures, rarity scores and reference images. We don't use AI guesses — every result is a real coin in the catalogue.
Frequently asked
How accurate is this coin identifier?
It uses a structured decision tree against our 4,700+ catalogue of British coins. If you correctly identify the portrait, denomination and year, the tool will narrow to the exact coin or a small handful of variants. For ambiguous coins (e.g. mules, errors, patterns) the result page links to relevant guides.
What if I don't know the year?
The year is normally beneath the portrait on the obverse. If it has worn away you can usually guess the decade from the portrait style; pick a representative year and review the matches.
Does this work for foreign or Roman coins?
No. This identifier is scoped to British circulation and commemorative coinage from medieval times to the present. For Roman, Anglo-Saxon hammered or other ancient coinage, the British Museum and the Portable Antiquities Scheme are the right starting points.
Is this a free service?
Yes, completely free with no account required. If you want to track the coins you find, free MyCoinage accounts let you save up to 25 coins to a personal collection.
What if my coin is fake?
Several common UK coins are widely counterfeited — most notably the Kew Gardens 50p and the £1 coin pre-2017. Once you have a match, our individual coin pages flag the common counterfeit tells and show genuine reference images.