£1 Coins
Could your £1 coin be worth 10 times its face value? The rarest £1 coin revealed
From 1983 until 2017, there were 25 different round pound coin designs issued, until they were removed from circulation in 2017 and replaced by the 12-sided bimetallic £1 coin that we use today. And in 2024 we saw the very first £1 coin featuring King Charles III enter circulation with the Bee £1! But out of all the designs issued over the last 42 years, which is the rarest £1?
£1 Mintage Figures
Scarcity cannot be determined on mintage figures alone, so we created our Scarcity Index which combines this with real collector demand, measured by Change Checker swap data. Our £1 Scarcity Index was set in stone in 2017 following the withdrawal of round pounds from circulation, which you can see here >>
Rarity, however, relates to how many of each coin design were in circulation for collectors to find. And whilst all round £1 coins are no longer in circulation, we can still look at their mintage figures to determine which would have been the hardest to come across.
The rarest £1 coin design
With a shockingly low mintage of just 935,000, the 2011 Scotland: Edinburgh City claims the title of rarest £1 UK coin design!
At just shy of 1 million, you might think the mintage doesn’t seem particularly low, however when compared to the Royal Arms £1 which has a total mintage of 623,304,510 across the years it was issued (1983, 1993, 2003 and 2008) – you would have had to be incredibly lucky to find one in your change!
This coin was part of the Capital Cities series which featured four designs, each representing one of the constituent countries. The reverse designs, by Goldsmith and Jeweller to the Queen, Stuart Devlin all feature the official badges of the capital cities of the United Kingdom, the Scotland: Edinburgh City £1 featuring Edinburgh Castle and rock in the centre, with three flags flying from the towers.
The Wales: Cardiff City £1 comes in second place with a mintage of 1,615,000 and the England: London City £1 is the third rarest with a mintage of 2,635,000. So the Capital City series is sure to be a popular ones with collectors looking for a rare gem!
How much is an Edinburgh £1 worth?
Although round pound coins were withdrawn from circulation in 2017, it was reported in 2020 that almost 170 million round £1 coins didn’t make it back to the Royal Mint. So whilst they’re no longer legal tender, they can technically still be found in your change!
And if you have an Edinburgh £1 in your collection, it could fetch you a pretty penny on the secondary market.
A look at recent sold listings on eBay revealed that a 2011 Scotland: Edinburgh City £1 could fetch you up to £9.99, almost 10 times its face value!
Do you have any rare round pound coins in your collection? Let us know in the comments!
Gaps in your round pound collection?
If you’re missing any of the 25 round pound designs, our Mystery Round Pound bundle is the best way to fill any gaps. Each bundle includes 3 random round pounds, meaning you’ll have all the fun of a coin hunt, plus you can save up to 17% compared to buying them individually!
Try your hand at our Mystery Round Pound Bundle for just £20 post free! >>
Could this Bee a new error £1 coin?
2.975 million King Charles III Bee £1 coins entered circulation in August 2024. Since then, the race has been on to track down these new coins creating a buzz in the collecting world!
Many collectors have already been lucky enough to come across the Bee £1, but perhaps none so lucky as Diane Bath, who spotted a rare error on one of the coins…
The error coin causing a buzz
Diane runs The Post Office in Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria, where she found a King Charles III Bee £1 struck in entirely one colour!
The image below shows the single metal coin, without the silver-coloured inner piece seen on standard United Kingdom £1 coins:
£1 coins are struck from a nickel-brass outer ring and an inner piece made from a nickel-plated brass alloy. It’s possible that this error coin was created due to the inner section not being punched out of the nickel-brass before the coin was struck. For confirmation of this, we’d suggest sending the error coin to The Royal Mint for verification.
Diane, a postmistress of over 20 years, told the press: “I am absolutely over the moon. Obviously we handle cash all the time and it’s the most exciting find I’ve ever had in over two decades.”
Worth a pretty penny
The coin was auctioned on 18th October by Ryedale Auctioneers, and whilst it had an estimated value of £500-£800, it actually sold for £1,250!
Image Credit: Ryedale Auctioneers
A similar error occurred when the first 12-sided £1 coins were released back in 2017, although only a small handful of these error coins were ever found. Reportedly, one such error coin sold for over £2,000 at auction!
Ultimately, the selling price of a rare error item like this at auction depends on how much a collector is willing to pay to get their hands on it. So remember, if you’re looking to secure an error coin on the secondary market, always do your research and be aware of fakes before you buy.
Have you spotted any errors on the new King Charles III coinage? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the Complete Set of New UK Coinage!
Whilst the Bee £1 and Salmon 50p can now be found in your change, it could be years until all 8 coins can readily be found in circulation…
So don’t miss out! Own the complete set now, with each coin including a special privy mark to set them apart from the coins in your change!
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New £1 coin design to enter circulation!
A brand new £1 coin is set to enter circulation, marking the 40th anniversary of it’s introduction!
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that artist Michael Armitage will design the new coin.
It’s believed the coin’s design will celebrate the culture, creativity, and heritage and history of the UK in the 21st century.
Speaking at a Royal College of Art’s (RCA) reception, Mr Sunak said: “I am delighted that Michael will lend his vision to the creation of this new £1 coin design in its 40th anniversary year. This coin will symbolise the rich tapestry of modern Britain and honour our deep heritage and history.”
Michael Armitage was earlier this year elected as a Royal Academician in the category of painting by the Royal Academy of Arts, London – meaning we’re sure to see a fantastic design on this brand new coin!
This will be the the first new £1 design since 2017 and Armitage said it will “combine our 1,100 years of craftsmanship with cutting-edge design to champion modern Britain.”
The 12-sided £1 coin has been in circulation since its introduction in 2016, having replaced the familiar round pound coins. It’s aim was to be the most secure coin yet.
This brand new design will become the standard circulating £1 coin* and will include the current “world-leading” high-security features to protect against counterfeiting, the Treasury said.
We can’t wait to see the design of this brand new coin and to start searching for it in our change! Let us know in the comments below if you’re excited to find this new coin!
*The new coin will enter circulation in 2023, marking the 40th anniversary of the modern £1 coin.
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app