You’ve probably got one in your pocket right now. Or maybe there's a jar of "junk" change sitting on your dresser, gathering dust while a small fortune potentially hides inside. Since Her Majesty’s passing in 2022, the market for a Queen Elizabeth II coin has basically exploded. But here is the thing: most of what you see on social media about "rare" coins is total nonsense. No, your standard 1971 penny isn't going to buy you a beach house in Bali.
Honestly, the transition to King Charles III's coinage has made people look at their spare change through a magnifying glass for the first time in decades. It is a weird time for money. We are currently in a massive "co-circulation" phase. There are roughly 27 to 29 billion coins featuring the Queen still floating around the UK alone.
That is a lot of metal.
The 2026 Centenary and the New Gold Rush
Right now, as we hit 2026, the buzz is all about the Queen Elizabeth II centenary. It would have been her 100th birthday this year. To mark the occasion, The Royal Mint and various Commonwealth territories have released some wild stuff. We’re talking about the first-ever "one-tenth sovereign."
It’s tiny. Barely 13mm. But collectors are losing their minds over it because only 6,999 were minted.
Why the 2026 releases matter
- New Portraits: Artists like Jody Clark have created "centenary" portraits of the Queen at age 25.
- The "Family" Connection: Some of these coins feature the Queen on one side and King Charles III on the other.
- Accessibility: The one-tenth gold sovereign was specifically made because gold prices are so high that regular people couldn't afford the bigger ones anymore.
If you are looking at these as an investment, the "Portraits of a Queen" collection is the one to watch. They’ve been dropping one a month through early 2026. The Mary Gillick portrait (the young, uncrowned version) is the favorite. Collectors like it because it feels nostalgic. It’s that 1953 vibe.
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The "Big Three" Rarities You Might Actually Find
Let’s be real. You aren’t going to stumble across the "The Crown" coin—that $23 million behemoth—in your couch cushions. But there are a few Queen Elizabeth II coin errors that actually exist in the wild.
- The Undated 20p (2008): This is the holy grail of "pocket change" finds. About 250,000 were minted without a date due to a manufacturing mix-up. They still sell for £50 to £70 easily.
- The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p: Only 210,000 were made. It’s the rarest 50p in circulation. If you find one, it's worth about £150. If someone tries to sell you one for £2,000, they’re probably trying to scam you.
- The "Silver" 2p: Sometimes a 10p "blank" gets fed into the 2p machine. If you find a silver-colored 2p, do not spend it. It could be worth over £1,000 at auction.
Wait. Check your £2 coins too.
There’s a famous one from 2005 called the "Gunpowder Plot" coin. People think the edge inscription says "Pemember, Pemember" instead of "Remember." I hate to break it to you, but it’s not a rare error. The Royal Mint says it’s just the font wearing down against the milling. It's worth exactly two pounds. Sorry.
The Portrait Evolution (A 70-Year Timeline)
One thing that makes a Queen Elizabeth II coin so unique is that her face aged with us. There were five "definitive" portraits used in the UK.
The first was by Mary Gillick in 1953. She looked young, fresh, and didn't even have a crown. Then came Arnold Machin in 1971—the "tiara" years. By 1985, Raphael Maklouf gave her the royal diadem. In 1998, Ian Rank-Broadley made her look more "realistic" (some say a bit stern). Finally, in 2015, Jody Clark gave us the portrait we see most often today.
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The New Zealand 50 Cent "Mule"
If you want to talk about "holy grail" errors, look for the 1985 New Zealand 50 cent piece. A handful were accidentally struck with the reverse of a Canadian Voyager dollar. It's a "mule"—two different countries on one coin. One sold recently for $24,000. It’s the kind of mistake that makes numismatics so addictive.
How to Tell if Yours is Worth Anything
Don't just trust eBay "sold" listings. People shill-bid those all the time to fake a high price. If you’ve got a Queen Elizabeth II coin and you think it’s special, look for these three things:
Mintage Figures: High mintage = low value. The 1979 sovereign has 13 million copies. It's basically worth the gold weight and not much more. The 1953 Coronation sovereign? Only 2,552 exists. That’s a £10,000 coin.
Condition is King: Professional grading (PCGS or NGC) makes or breaks the price. A "Proof" coin—one with a mirror-like finish—is always going to out-value a "Brilliant Uncirculated" (BU) version.
The "Finality" Factor: The 2022 and 2023 "Memorial" coins are currently trending because they represent the end of the era. The 2022 1oz Gold Britannia with the Queen’s portrait is technically the "last" of its kind.
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What to Do With Your Collection Now
The window for "easy" finds is closing. As King Charles III coins become more common, the Queen's coins are being pulled out of circulation by banks and savvy collectors.
If you have a bunch of old 50p or £2 coins, sort them by year. Put the 2009, 2011 (Olympic sets), and 2022 dates in a separate pile. Get a proper coin folder. Do not—and I mean do not—clean them with baking soda or vinegar. You will strip the "bloom" (the original mint luster) and cut the value in half instantly.
The real value of a Queen Elizabeth II coin isn't just the metal. It’s the fact that for 70 years, these little discs of copper and nickel were the heartbeat of global trade. They’re tiny time capsules.
Next Steps for You:
Check your 50p coins for the "Kew Gardens" pagoda or the 2011 Olympic designs. If you have any gold sovereigns from 1957, look for the "SA" mint mark near the date—that signifies the South African mint and adds a 20% premium over the standard UK version. For modern commemorative sets, keep the original Royal Mint packaging intact; a "loose" proof coin is worth significantly less than one in its original box with the Certificate of Authenticity (COA).