British Coins

What is the Trial of the Pyx? - The Trial of the Pyx is an annual ceremony conducted since the 12th century in which the coins of the UK (minted by the Royal Mint) are tested to check if the coins have the correct metallic content, weight and size.

The Great One Hundred Pound Coin Controversy - How much would you pay for a (Legal Tender) Silver One Hundred Pound Coin? If you think £100 or more then there's probably lots of sellers who would like to meet you. The reason why may well shock you.

History of the One-Pound Coin - The Pound is the main currency of the UK and the one pound (GBP £1 sterling) coin is in everyday circulation. The one pound coin replaced the previous one pound banknote in April 1983 and the round one pound coin itself was replaced with a 12-sided, bi-metallic coin in 2017.

The 1999 Two-Pound Coin and the Rugby World Cup - The Rugby World Cup is held every four year and in 1999 it was the turn for Wales to be the hosts. A major event of this magnitude didn't go unnoticed by the Royal Mint - especially as they are just a few miles away. They decided on a variation of the bi-metallic £2 coin which had been recently introduced into circulation.

Samuel Johnson and the 2005 50p Coin – Johnson’s Dictionary - In 2005 the Royal Mint issued a 50 pence coin into general circulation in the UK to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language. So who was Samuel Johnson and why was his dictionary special?

2008 Platinum Proof Britannia Set - The 2008 Platinum Proof Britannia Set is the second Britannia set minted by the Royal Mint in platinum. The first was in 2007 and up to date of this article no others have been issued, so Platinum Britannia's are quite rare.

The UK 50p Gold Proof Collection - The UK 50p Gold Proof Collection is a collection of 16 gold proof fifty-pence pieces and was issued by the Royal Mint in 2009 to commemorate 40 years of the 50p piece. The set contains the 16 different designs issued on the 50p piece from 1969 to 2009, all in 22 carat gold.

2017 Tale of Peter Rabbit Gold 50p Set - Peter Rabbit is one of Beatrix Potter's most famous and enduring characters. In 2017 the Royal Mint offered a very special limited edition gift set: an exclusive edition of the book The Tale of Peter Rabbit with a 22-carat gold 50p proof coin.

1937 was Not the Only Gold Sovereign Minted in George VI’s Reign - The 1937 Gold Sovereign is much sought after as it is the only gold sovereign that bears the head of King George VI. But it was not the only year that sovereigns were made at the London Mint during the George's reign (1936-1952).

2015 Silver Two Pound Proof The Royal Navy: Yet Another Product Variant - The 2015 Silver Two Pound Proof The Royal Navy is a silver proof version of the 2015 £2 currently in circulation, and I want to use this to illustrate how the Royal Mint is augmenting its coins by issuing product variants to reach as large as possible coin collector base.