The Royal Mint has been creating coins since 886 AD and there are now around 30 billion coins estimated to be in circulation in the UK today. Some are more valuable than others - and can be worth as much as a staggering £1 million for a single coin. Here, we reveal the top 10 most valuable British coins.
.. Edward VIII pattern coins These coins were produced in 1936 upon the accession of King Edward VIII.
However, he abdicated in December that year after a reign of just 326 days and before his coronation in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. This meant these remained just as pattern pieces, aka prototypes, rather than entering circulation in January 2020, the Royal Mint sold an Edward VIII Sovereign coin for £1 million, setting a new record for the most expensive British coin ever sold. Queen Anne Vigo Five-Guinea Piece This is one of the rarest British coins, dating back to 1703 and the reign of Queen Anne, who was played by Olivia Colman in Oscar-winning film The Favourite.
The coin was one of only a handful made from gold bullion captured by the British fleet at the Battle of Vigo Bay in northern Spain on October 23 1702. In 2019, this sold for over $1m (£750,000) at a New York auction. Una and the Lion This is a £5 British gold coin dated 1839 that commemorates the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign in 1837.
It's considered one of the most beautiful British coins ever made. The coin features a young Queen Victoria guiding a lion, based on the character L.