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Collectible Coins Back to Bullion Index Home

As well as bullion investors, we also attract numismatists looking to add a specific coin to their collection. Certain bullion coins will attract higher premiums based on certain characteristics such as rarity or condition.

Whether you're an avid coin collector or would simply like to learn more about the popular hobby, we have put together this range of collectible coins and guide to give you all you need to know.

Click here to view our NEW range of collectible coins

Alternatively, view our selection of:

Gold Guineas | Hammered coins | Milled coins | Collectible and numismatic gold coins | Collectible and silver coins

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£

£2 coin scarcity index

A £2 coin scarcity index is a rough guide that compares the relative availability of coins. It is not easy to index the rarity of one £2 coin compared to another; calculations of scarcity must consider subjective and indefinite factors. Finding accurate information regarding the availability of coins can be …

£50 coin

The £50 coin is rare in British currency, and technically speaking has never actually been in circulation. With common circulating coins generally going no higher than £2, it’s of little surprise that a £50 coin is not something you’ll find in everyday change. There are however three variations of £50 …

£5 commemorative coins

Since 1953, The Royal Mint has struck several commemorative £5 coins to mark special occasions. These take the form of a cupro-nickel £5 coin, similar to the circulating currency we carry in our pockets, or £5 commemorative coins struck in gold or silver. These coins commemorate historic events in British …

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1605 to 2005 2 pound coin

2005 marked the 400th anniversary of the infamous Gunpowder Plot on November 5th, 1605, and was commemorated with the release of a special two pound coin. The Gunpowder Plot saw Catholic rebels fail in their attempts to assassinate King James I. The conspirators included the well-known ‘Guy Fawkes’, and were …

1807 £2 coin

2007 marked the 200th anniversary of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, and this momentous anniversary was duly commemorated by The Royal Mint. They released a special £2 coin - one for circulation, the other a gold proof version. The 1807 Act made it illegal to trade slaves inside the …

1965 Churchill Coin

As one of the most famous figures in British history, Sir Winston Churchill was unsurprisingly commemorated with a British coin following his death in 1965. The Royal Mint issued a very special circulating Crown coin commemorating the life of the influential and often contentious Prime Minister, and the 1965 Churchill …

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2 pound coin 1945 to 1995

The Royal Mint struck two £2 coins in 1995; one to mark fifty years since the end of World War Two, and another marking the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. The 1945 to 1995 period is also linked to both 2 pound coins, further muddying the waters. The 1995 …

2 Shillings

A shilling is an old English denomination of coin. It was one twelfth of a pound, or twelve old pence. Two shillings therefore equalled twenty-four old pence, or a tenth of a pound. The 2 Shilling coin was more commonly known as a florin, and is generally regarded as the …

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50p scarcity index

The 50p scarcity index gives an approximate indication of the availability of one 50p coin compared to another. The scarcity index is used to try and work out if a 50p coin is rare, and thus potentially valuable. 50p rarity index It is not easy to index the rarity of …

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Brunel 2 pound coin

Issued in 2006, the Isambard Kingdom Brunel 2 pound coin was struck by The Royal Mint to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great mechanical and civil engineer. Unusually for these kind of releases, two coins were issued; one coin depicts the man, and the other his …

Bullion coin dealers

Whether you are a bullion investor, a coin collector, or a combination of the two, there is nowhere better to buy your gold, silver, or platinum bullion coins than at BullionByPost. We are experienced bullion coin dealers with a wide range of popular and famous bullion coins and bars from …

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Charles and Diana coin

The Charles and Diana coin was produced in 1981 to celebrate the wedding of then Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. More than 750 million worldwide TV viewers watched Charles, Prince of Wales, marry Lady Diana Spencer on Wednesday July 29th, 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral. A vast amount of …

Cleaning old coins

Cleaning old coins might seem like a good way to revitalise the appearance of a treasured item, but could in fact reduce a coin's value significantly, and should be avoided. Particularly in the case of old precious metal coins, cleaning them is most definitely not recommended! Many British coins, especially …

Coin alignment

Coin alignment, also known as die axis or coin rotation, is a specification of coin orientation: whether both sides of a coin are upright if the coin spins on its axis. The graphic below explains how numismatists and other coin collectors can determine the coin orientation and the degree of …

Coin box

Many investors or coin collectors decide to store and display their bullion in presentation boxes. Coins are often produced to high artistic standards, with the reverse side in particular struck with beautiful designs. It is no surprise then that owners of these coins might want to show them off, and …

Coin collecting

Coin collecting, or numismatics, has been popular for as long as coins have existed. Once known as the ‘hobby of kings’, it is now far more accessible to the wider public, with millions of people worldwide devoting their time and money to expanding their collections of rare, famous, and beautiful …

Coin collector name

A coin collector is more formally called a 'numismatic' or 'numismatist'. The word numismatic means the study or collection of currency. This covers tokens, paper money, coins and medals. It also means a person who studies or collects currencies. As such, there is no name for a coin collector specifically, …

Coin dealers near me

A coin dealer is someone that trades in collectible or numismatic coins; buying and selling rare or precious metal coins. They might be a small pawnbroker, antique dealer, or a specialised, professional coin and bullion dealer like BullionByPost. Thanks to BullionByPost's experience in trading gold through the post, customers no …

Coin grading

Coin grading is the process undertaken to ascertain the ‘grade’ of a coin - its condition. This is generally a formal process, carried out by professional, recognised individuals and companies to ensure an impartial and accurate decision has been made. It can be more informally applied however, and the term …

Coin values

It will come as no surprise that there are a vast number of coins in existence, and finding their value is likely beyond any single place or database. The precious metal coins sold by a company such as ourselves even change in value every two minutes, making it even more …

Commemorative £2 coins

The history of commemorative £2 coins in the UK can be complex and confusing. Confusion occurs because, in addition to common circulating currency coins issued in 1998, there have also been numerous other commemorative £2 coins over the years. This includes various celebratory £2 coins, plus collectible bullion Double Sovereigns. …

Commemorative 50p coin

The 50p coin has been a popular choice for commemorative currency to mark major British events and anniversaries over the years. One of the latest fifty pence coins even commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the first 50p being minted. These commemorative 50p coins are usually minted in their millions; therefore …

Commemorative coins

There is growing demand from collectors for commemorative coins, a demand that mints around the world are only too pleased to satisfy. Commemorative coins come in many forms; they range from bullion tokens that celebrate events, through to limited edition precious metal coins struck by national mints. In the UK …

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Decimalisation UK

Decimalisation in the UK took place in 1971, and represented a major shift in the national currency for millions of British consumers. Decimalisation, when referring to coins, is when a country changes its currency to a decimal system. This means coins and denominations are in a metric system of tens, …

Dei Gratia

Dei Gratia is Latin for 'By the Grace of God', and can be found on many coins around the world, and on UK coins in particular. Dei Gratia Regina – often abbreviated to 'D. G. Regina' – translates from Latin to 'By the grace of God, Queen'. The Regina variation …

Dieu et mon droit

'Dieu et mon droit ’ is a French phrase used as the motto of the UK monarchy (outside of Scotland). 'Dieu et mon droit ’ translates directly as 'God and my right ’. Similar to 'honi soit qui mal y pense ', the phrase 'Dieu et mon droit ’ is …

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Edward VIII Sovereign Coins

Edward VIII gold Sovereign coins are arguably the rarest British coins in existence. The Edward VIII Sovereign is even described as “the coinage that never was” by its creators, The Royal Mint. They are so rare that only six of these coins exist. Unsurprisingly, being one of the United Kingdom's …

Egyptian coins

Egyptian coins cover one of the oldest civilisations in history; a part of human culture dating back to 10,000 BC. Despite this, Egyptian coins didn’t appear until relatively late in its history, as we’ll discuss further below. As a fulcrum point between Europe, Asia and Africa, leadership of Egypt has …

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Fifty Pence coin

The fifty pence coin is one of the most recognisable British currency coins thanks to its unique shape. For collectors, they have become a popular choice too, attracting a large number of commemorative 50p pieces over the years. At BullionByPost we offer a range of collectible gold fifty pence pieces. …

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Groat meaning

A groat could mean one of two things typically. The first would be a kernel of grain such as a wheat. More related to this page however, a Groat is the name for a number of different coins used over the years. The word Groat is often a broad term …

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Hammered coins identification

The identification of hammered coins can be a difficult and laborious process if you don’t know what to look for. The way they were made, and the age of the coin, can make it near impossible to discern the features necessary to identify the coin you have. But with a …

Honi soit qui mal y pense

Collectors of some of our older products might be surprised to find that a number of English coins have the French phase ‘honi soit qui mal y pense’ stamped on the reverse side. ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’ is a French term that has been adopted as the motto …

How much are old pennies worth?

Pennies have been part of British history since Anglo-Saxon times. They come in many metals, shapes and sizes, culminating in the current copper-plated penny worth one-hundredth of a pound. Despite being such a commonly used coin, there are plenty of unique, old pennies that are worth significantly more money than …

How much is a gold coin worth?

Like gold bars and ingots, the price of a gold bullion coin is not fixed and depends on a number of variables. At it's simplest, working out how much a gold coin is worth will be based on its weight, gold purity and the gold spot price. Although many gold …

How much is a Guinea worth?

A Guinea was worth a pound, which at the time was the equivalent of 20 Shillings. In many ways it was the precursor to the Sovereign, and holds a key place in British coinage history. Today of course a Guinea is worth far more thanks to it's gold content. What …

How much is a Halfpenny worth?

With a history spanning over 800 years, there are many rare and collectible Halfpenny coins. Even some of the most recent United Kingdom decimal coins are sought-after by numismatics or coin collectors, and can now sell for around £100. More historical Halfpenny coins have sold for well over £300. Despite …

How much is a silver Dollar worth?

Between 1794 and 1935, the US Dollar coin was minted in silver. Although this coin has a nominal face value of one dollar, a silver dollar is worth much more than that due to the value of its pure silver content. Like all precious metal bullion products, the price of …

How rare is my coin?

Demand from an increasing number of collectors and numismatists is leading to ever-increasing prices for rare coins. This makes them attractive products for both collectors and financial investors. Many of us have old coins, passed down through generations, that we might want to sell. Many are left asking ‘how rare …

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Ich Dien

Ich Dien is German for ‘I serve’, and is found on the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, most commonly referred to as the Prince of Wales’ feathers. The motto is usually located in a ribbon on either side of the crown and feathers that make up the badge. …

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Latin Monetary Union

The Latin Monetary Union was established in a treaty between France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy (including the Papal States) in 1865. The aim of the Latin Monetary Union was to enhance trade between the various countries by standardising the weight and dimensions of their coinage. It came into effect on …

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Mintage figures

Mintage figures record the type and number of coins that a mint has struck. Mintage figures should not be confused with ‘issue limits’; which are the number of coins that a mint proposes to strike. The mintage figure is the actual number of coins produced, it could therefore be less …

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New coins

New coins are issued every year by mints across the globe. In the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Treasury is responsible for directing The Royal Mint to strike new coins. The quantities and denominations of new common currency coins to be released are determined by demand. In its calculations, the Treasury …

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Obverse

The meaning of obverse is generally the opposite of something, but it is most commonly used when referring to coins. Obverse and reverse, when referring to coins, is a way to denote which side of the coin you are looking at and is more commonly known as ‘heads and tails’. …

Old coins

Old coins hold a fascination for many of us. As something used by the common man for thousands of years, coins offer a chance to peer back into history, with an item that has exchanged many hands. An old coin could have been handled by a King or Queen, or …

Old coins names

Coins have been a part of our lives for millennia, with commerce and trading centred around coins since the 6th Century BC. Each culture had their own currency or variation, and as such there are a huge number of old coin names that have been lost to time. Fortunately, the …

One hundred pounds

There was a time when one hundred pounds was a considerable sum of money. Taking inflation into account, £100 in 1980 would be the equivalent of £482 today, and would have equalled a huge £12,000 based on the pound's value in 1900! The value and spending power of £100 today …

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Pre-decimal currency

For the majority of English (and eventually British) history, a pre-decimal monetary system based on pounds, shillings and pence was used. In this pre-decimal currency, one pound sterling was divided into twenty shillings, and one shilling into 12 pence. This meant there were 240 pennies to the pound. Pre-decimal currency …

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Rare £2 coins

The history of rare £2 coins can be confusing. In addition to common currency coins issued since 1998, there have also been numerous commemorative £2 coins which are also considered rare. This includes various celebratory £2 coin designs, plus collectible bullion coins. All of these have a legal tender face …

Rare 50p coins

Considering it is one of the most prolific coins in the UK, there are still a number of rare 50p coins that can be found. The reverse of the 50p coin is commonly used to mark major national events or anniversaries. Events such as royal births and weddings, sporting events …

Rare British coins

British bullion coins are recognised internationally, and make a popular choice for investors in precious metals both domestically and across the globe. Bullion coins such as the gold and silver Britannia and the Sovereign make excellent, trusted and flexible investments. With thousands of years of numismatic history however, it should …

Rare coins

Collecting rare coins is a popular hobby and can be a valuable method of investment. The study and collection of coins and other forms of currency is known as numismatics, and the demand from collectors for rare coins can often lead to the inflation of their prices beyond their initial …

Reverse side of a coin

The reverse side of a coin is the ‘back’ side, and would commonly be referred to as the ‘tails’ side of the coin. The reverse side of the coin usually features a symbol, artistic design and the denomination or face value. The obverse usually has the portrait or image of …

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Silver Jubilee Crown

The Silver Jubilee Crown is a coin we see much confusion over from customers. Generally speaking when people talk about this coin, they are referring to the coin released in 1977 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The confusion arrives over the coins metal, its value, and …

Special coins

Special coins can become treasured heirlooms, something passed down many generations with a story, or a valuable piece to sell on when the time is right. Many things can make a coin special; they will be special to different people, for different reasons. A coin could be special to a …

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The First World War £2 coin 2014

The First World War £2 coin from 2014 was the first in a five-year series of coins issued by The Royal Mint to mark the centenary of World War 1. Termed the 'Outbreak' coin, it very appropriately carries the famous depiction of Lord Kitchener, as used on recruitment posters at …

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UK coins

Over the many centuries of British coinage there have been a huge number of UK coins produced. Different denominations, metals, changing names for the same coin. Today, UK coins are of a comparatively small number and range compared to pre-decimal coinage. There are many commemorative and bullion coins, not used …

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Valuable coins

A valuable coin can be many different things to different people. There are many examples of circulating currency carried around in our pockets that become known as a valuable coin. Despite their regular use in a person’s daily life, coins can be incredibly valuable; a rare coin, or an error …

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Wedding Sixpence

A Sixpence coin has a rich tradition with weddings in Britain. 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue ', is a very well-known wedding rhyme. Even today, many brides follow these instructions as a nod to tradition. Few, however, quote the last line, and the full rhyme is as …

What is a die number?

A die number is an identifier for the die (similar to a mould) use to produce a coin. Coins are made by pressing or striking blank metal discs, known as a planchet, between two dies. The dies carry an inverted coin pattern (incuse), and give each coin it’s unique appearance. …

When did the Pound coin come out?

The current UK bi-metallic, dodecagonal – or 12 sided – one Pound coin came out on March 28th, 2017. The outer ring is made of a nickel-brass alloy, while the inner planchet is made of a nickel-plated alloy. The one Pound coin has featured the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II …