Oxford News
18 rarest Royal Mint coins minted under Queen Elizabeth II
Some of these elusive pieces can fetch prices far above their face value on resale platforms like eBay, where demand remains high.
Among the most sought-after are the iconic Kew Gardens 50p and a range of limited-edition alphabet 10p coins.
Mark Loveridge, director of UK currency at the Royal Mint, said: “The coinage of Queen Elizabeth II spanned 70 years and special designs issued into circulation celebrated some of the biggest events in history.
“Although the 2022 mintage figures mark the last time that Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait will appear on new coins, over 27 billion of her coins will remain in circulation.
“Coin collecting remains a popular hobby in the UK and the coins of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign are particularly coveted. By sharing the list of rare designs we hope people will look closely at their coins – if they’re lucky they might find a piece of history.”
What makes a coin valuable?
The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.
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Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.
The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.
Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.
The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value – while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.
Royal Mint rarest coins from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign
Here is a list of rare coins compiled by the Royal Mint, with information about the year of release, denomination, design features and whether or not the coin is still in circulation:
- 2019, 10p, a set of “A to Z” coins celebrating Britain. Letters Y, W and Z each had a mintage of 63,000, yes.
- 2019, 10p, also from the A to Z collection, the letter R had a mintage of 64,000, yes.
- 2019, 10p, all other letters in the A to Z collection had a mintage of 84,000, yes.
- 1992-1993, 50p, the coin celebrated the UK’s presidency of the Council of Ministers and the completion of the European single market. The design included a representation of a table with 12 stars, linked by a network of lines and the mintage was 109,000. The Mint said this was the lowest number of its 50ps issued into circulation, no.
- 2009, 50p, the design features the Kew Gardens pagoda with a decorative leafy climber twining in and around the tower, 210,000, yes.
- 2018 dated, 10p, the A to Z 10p collection celebrating Britain, each letter in this year had a mintage of 220,000, yes.
- 2015, £2, this coin paid tribute to the Royal Navy and its role during the First World War, and had a mintage of 650,000, yes.
- 2015, £2, it featured Britannia for the first time on a circulating £2 coin, with a mintage of 650,000, yes.
- 1985, 50p, the coin featured a figure of Britannia, with a shield, with a mintage of 682,103, no.
- 2002, £2, four £2 coins celebrating each home nation for the Commonwealth Games. Mintage figures for Scotland were 771,750, for Wales, 588,500, for Ireland, 485,500, and for England 650,500, yes.
- 2012, £2, the coin celebrated the closing of the 2012 Olympics and had a mintage of 845,000, yes
- 2008, £2, the coin marked the centenary of the Olympic Games, with mintage of 910,000, yes.
- 2008, £2, the coin marked the end of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, with a mintage of 918,000, yes.
- 2011, £2, the coin commemorated 400 years since the King James Bible was published, with a mintage of 975,000, yes.
- 2018, 50p, a series of coins celebrated Beatrix Potter’s classic tales, with a mintage of 1,400,000 each for the Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny designs, yes.
- 2011, 50p, a series of coins celebrating the London 2012 Olympics. Mintages included 1,454,000 for tennis, 1,161,500 for judo and 1,129,500 for wrestling, yes.
- 2010-2011, £1, a series of round pound coins featuring official badges of capital cities in the UK. They had mintages of 935,000 for Edinburgh, 2,635,000 for London and 1,615,000 for Cardiff, no.
- 2008, £1, the round pound coin featured the UK’s Royal Arms, with a mintage of 3,910,000, no.
Stand By Me: Bob Harris – A Celebration Of Life In Music will take place in London on December 2.
The one-off show will also include performances by Rick Wakeman, Carly Pearce, Chris Difford, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Judie Tzuke, Kate Rusby, The Shires, Kezia Gill and Toby Lee.
READ MORE: Broadcasting legend leaves BBC radio
In June, it was announced that the broadcaster, who lives in Steventon, near Abingdon, was standing down from hosting his Radio 2 shows Sounds Of The 70s and Radio 2 Country because of ill health.
The radio veteran, 80, has prostate cancer and in April he revealed it has spread to his upper spine.
Mr Harris said at the time leaving his shows has been “one of the hardest decisions of my life”.
He added: “It’s incredible to think that my broadcasting career has spanned almost 56 years. I am very fortunate to have spent my entire working life doing something I love so much.
“I am a massive BBC loyalist, and I’m grateful that I have always been given the freedom to build my programmes in my own way.
“Most of my time on air has been spent with my fabulous family at Radio 2 and it has been such a joy to broadcast on this world-class radio station.
“I am so proud that the Radio 2 Country Show has played such a massive part in propelling country to become the fastest-growing music genre in the UK, and presenting Sounds Of The 70s on Sunday afternoons has been a real pleasure and made my time here the most special of my entire life.
“But more than anything, I want to say thank you to my listeners. I have put everything I have into every show I’ve ever done, and it’s all been because of you. Your love and loyalty mean more to me than words can ever say.
“I am so sorry that my health issues are forcing me to step down, but I realise that I must concentrate on getting myself well again.
“This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I would never want to be doing programmes knowing that I am unable to give you 100 per cent.”
Following the announcement regarding the show, Bob Harris said he was honoured.
He told The Standard: “I’ve been blessed and honoured to have been there with all these artists right at the beginning of their careers, so we all have long working relationships and deep friendships.
“I truly love the Royal Albert Hall too. I first began attending concerts there in 1968, and it is, to me, the most beautiful and prestigious venue in Britain.
“So I feel so honoured to have these wonderful artists with me onstage at my favourite venue. Bringing this music together for Stand By Me is the realisation of a dream.”
The event will also feature broadcasting and music industry figures on stage to present the show and share their memories of Harris.
The daughter of former footballer David and ex Spice Girl Victoria lives with her family in Oxfordshire.
She had been working on a skincare line inspired by Korean beauty, initially branded HIKU by Harper and aimed at Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers.
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However, according to cosmetics industry reports and US filings, the US Patent and Trademark Office refused her first application in July “because of a likelihood of confusion” with existing trademarks already registered in the country.
Documents cited by cosmeticsbusiness.com show that “Hiku” is already protected for personal care products and fragrances, while “Harper” appears on the register for cleaning products such as brooms and scrubbing brushes – blocking the path for “HIKU by Harper” in those categories.
Coverage of the setback notes that Harper had six months to respond to the provisional refusal if she wants to challenge the decision or narrow the scope of the American filing.
READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham feud costs Harper ‘dream’ Sephora launch
Yet, now, she is pursuing a new brand, this time focused around make-up and called Harlo by Harper.
According to The Sun, the teenager has lodged papers with the US Patent and Trademark Office asking to be granted sole rights to use the name and with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to trademark the brand.
The aim is to launch the brand at some point next year, as the only daughter of the Beckhams seeks to build a beauty empire.
A source for the paper added that Victoria has been “guiding her every step of the way”.
Contemporary clothing label Vuori has launched a store at Bicester Village this week, its first store outside of London.
To mark the opening of the store, Bicester Village welcomed guests to an exclusive Pilates session before the shops even opened their doors.
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Headquartered in San Diego and founded more than a decade ago, the brand has built a reputation for premium, performance-led leisurewear.
The new Bicester Village store will offer a carefully curated selection of bestsellers, including its Halo pants, the Vuori All The Feels collection and pieces from its popular Tom Holland golf collaboration.
Alongside those ranges, prices will be exclusive to the outlet, making it Vuori’s first UK discount boutique location and offering shoppers in Oxfordshire a chance to snap up the brand’s signature styles at lower prices than in its standard stores.
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