# What are the most valuable coins and notes in the UK? Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2017-09-07 Category: FINANCE Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/finance Meta Title: Rare Coins and Notes: The Most Valuable Currency in the UK Meta Description: Find out about rare coins and banknotes in the UK that have skyrocketed in value, including a £10 note and a George V penny worth over £70,000. URL: https://financedigest.com/what-are-the-most-valuable-coins-and-notes-in-the-ukhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/coin-3-1736843541750-compressed.jpg) By [Equilibrium Asset Management](http://eqllp.co.uk/) On 18th July 2017, on the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, the Bank of England unveiled the newly designed polymer £10 note, featuring the famous British author and a range of innovative new features. If the hysteria surrounding the launch of the polymer £5 note last year is anything to go by, we can expect the earliest issues of the £10 note to attract a significant amount of attention and their value to skyrocket. Certain £5 notes, which began with the prefix ‘AA01’, are already said to be worth as much as £200. With the £10 note on its way and a new polymer £20 note scheduled for release in 2020, the team at Equilibrium [Asset Management](https://www.financedigest.com/iot-platform-wells-up-south-africas-silulumanzi-water-utility-power-asset-management-savings-and-monitoring.html "IoT Platform Wells Up South Africa’s Silulumanzi Water Utility Power Asset Management Savings and Monitoring") wanted to take a look at the most valuable currency in the UK **The most valuable coins and notes in the UK** There is a range of pre-decimal and decimal [coins](https://www.financedigest.com/counterfeit-coins-would-you-be-able-to-spot-a-fake-pound-coin.html) that have seen a many-thousand percentage increase in [value due to their rareness](https://www.financedigest.com/rare-neurodegenerative-disease-treatment-market-value-share-supply-demand-share-and-value-chain-2021-2031.html "Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2021-2031"). Here are some examples, with associated [estimated values](https://www.financedigest.com/valve-seat-inserts-market-was-estimate-to-be-valued-at-us-5-bn-in-2019-and-expected-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-4-during-the-forecast-period-of-2019-2029.html "Valve Seat Inserts Market was estimate to be valued at ~US$ 5 Bn in 2019, and expected to grow at a CAGR of ~4% during the forecast period of 2019-2029") from coin and bullion expert Chard and GoCompare. **1933 George V penny** ![1933 George V penny](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/penny-1736843541814-compressed.jpg) 1933 George V penny This is considered arguably the most valuable coin in the UK, with an [estimated value](https://www.financedigest.com/western-europe-medical-recruitment-market-is-estimated-to-be-valued-at-us-21-22-billion-by-the-end-of-2028.html "Western Europe Medical Recruitment Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 21.22 Billion by the end of 2028") of £72,000. Although this was originally created as a pattern coin – one that is never released for circulation – it is believed seven were issued, making them extraordinarily rare. **1937 Edward VIII brass threepence** ![1937 Edward VIII brass threepence](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/coin-1-1736843541802-compressed.jpg) 1937 Edward VIII brass threepence Another pattern coin, this three penny piece has historical significance because Edward VIII, who appears on the coin, abdicated less than 12 months into his reign, making the coins redundant. Only 10 were minted, and today they would be worth approximately £45,000 each. **1917 George V sovereign London mint** ![1917 George V sovereign London mint](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/coin-2-1736843541756-compressed.jpg) 1917 George V sovereign London mint The sovereign was a gold coin, with a nominal value of one pound sterling, in circulation in the UK prior to 1932 as part of Britain’s Gold Standard currency. Valued today at an estimated £15,000 – an increase in value of 191,716% since its launch – this gold sovereign was issued during [World War](https://www.financedigest.com/covid-war-and-fed-push-world-stocks-down-for-4th-day.html "COVID, War and Fed push world stocks down for 4th day") I with a low mintage. **1971 £5 note** ![1971 £5 note](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/coin-3-1736843541750-compressed.jpg) 1971 £5 note An ultra-rare 1971 £5 note was sold at an auction in May 2017 for £16,800. There are two main features that make a banknote valuable: - **Serial numbers** – notes are printed in sheets, with a serial number assigned to each note. This serial number is made up of a two-letter prefix, starting with AA, as well as a batch number, starting with 01. According to [auction house](https://www.financedigest.com/top-auction-houses-cancel-russian-art-sales-in-london.html "Top auction houses cancel Russian art sales in London") Warwick & Warwick, any note from the AA01 batch has the potential to be extremely valuable, particularly because number 000001 is always presented to the Queen and 000002 is always presented to Prince Philip. The note that sold for £16,800 had the serial number A01 000004. - **Chief Cashier signatures** – each note includes a [signature by the Chief Cashier at the Bank](https://www.financedigest.com/kpmg-stands-by-audits-of-silicon-valley-bank-and-signature-bank-ft.html "KPMG stands by audits of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank – FT") of England, and notes signed by certain Chief Cashiers – especially those from a first or last print batch – are particularly sought after by collectors. **1905 Edward VII half crown** This silver [half crown is particularly rare because only 166,008 were minted in 1905 – just five years](https://www.financedigest.com/tods-sales-rise-17-in-first-half-of-year.html "Tod’s sales rise 17% in first half of year") before the end of Edward VII’s reign. On the obverse is a portrait of the monarch by George William de Saulles, while on the reverse is a crowned shield in garter, designed by the same medallist. This coin today is worth £10,500 – a 79,445% increase from its original nominal value. **1996 football European Championships gold proof two pound** ![1996 football European Championships gold proof two pound ](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/coin-4-1736843541808-compressed.jpg) 1996 football European Championships gold proof two pound Just fewer than 2,100 of these coins were minted, which feature a football, the date and 16 small circles to signify the countries taking [part in the European](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-sanctions-european-gas-companies-polish-part-of-gas-pipeline.html "Russia sanctions European gas companies, Polish part of gas pipeline") Championships football tournament in 1996. There is an unknown number of these [coins](https://www.financedigest.com/counterfeit-coins-would-you-be-able-to-spot-a-fake-pound-coin.html) with a flat surface and an incorrect die, making them yet more rare and contributing to a [value of around](https://www.financedigest.com/industrial-flooring-market-is-anticipated-to-expand-at-a-cagr-of-over-4-during-the-forecast-period-of-2020-2030-to-be-valued-around-us-12-4-bn-by-2030.html "Industrial Flooring Market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period of 2020-2030, to be valued around US$ 12.4 Bn by 2030") £1,700. **1983 Elizabeth II ‘new pence’ two pence** ![1983 Elizabeth II ‘new pence’ two pence ](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/coin-5-1736843541855-compressed.jpg) 1983 Elizabeth II ‘new pence’ two pence This coin is valuable because of a mistake made when creating the die for this two pence coin. Instead of the reverse reading ‘Two Pence’, it reads ‘New Pence’. The number of [coins](https://www.financedigest.com/counterfeit-coins-would-you-be-able-to-spot-a-fake-pound-coin.html) released is unknown, but one could fetch up to £1,350 today. **2012 Olympics swimming fifty pence** ![2012 Olympics swimming fifty pence ](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/coin-6-1736843541794-compressed.jpg) 2012 Olympics swimming fifty pence The most recent of the five featured coins in this article, this coin was supposed to depict the face of a swimmer underwater, alongside the logo of the 2012 London Olympics. However, an unknown number of coins were put into circulation where the swimmer’s face was actually obscured by water. These rare coins are now worth approximately £750. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---