13 April 2026
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In history, the first British coins are said to be seen around 150 BC. We have seen millions of different coins made since then through history and modern day. But which ones are the most valuable today? Here are what we think are the top five most valuable British stamps.
1937 Edward VIII Gold Sovereign
The 1937 Edward VIII Gold Sovereign is one of the world’s rarest coins with only six known examples, most held in museums.
This is because they were designed and made before Edward VIII’s abdication in December 1936. It is known as a “coinage that never was.”
It features a left facing portrait of Edward VIII by Humphrey Paget with the inscription ‘EDWARD VIII D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : ND : IMP.’
This broke the tradition that each new monarch faces the opposite direction to their predecessor.
On the reverse of the coin there is St. George and the Dragon with the date 1937 designed by Benedetto Pistrucci.
There are a lot of modern-day fake versions of this coin which are worth very little. But a genuine example has a value of £1 million. One example in 2020 now holds the record for the highest sale of a British coin.
1839 Una and the Lion Gold £5 Coin
The gold five-pound coin was released in 1839 and is supposedly one of the most beautiful coins in the world.
On the obverse it shows a young portrait of Queen Victoria designed by William Wyon. The reverse was also designed by Wyon and features the Queen as Una guiding the British lion.
The design is unusual for a British coin which is why people considers it the most beautiful coin in the world.
It was initially struck for 1839 collector sets with an estimated mintage of 300-400. This is why the value is now high for this design. High grade, genuine examples can sell for over £1 million, due to its popularity and rarity.
Due to high demand, the design has been reissued by The Royal Mint in recent years.
1703 Queen Anne Five Guineas
The five guineas is an incredibly rare and valuable British gold coin. The gold was taken from Spanish galleons in 1702 and was released as a gold coin in 1703. The coins were made to serve as a memorial to this victory.
The obverse design is Queen Anne looking left with the engraving “VIGO” beneath. The reverse features crowned shields for England, Scotland, Ireland and France.
There were only around 20 examples known to still exist, making it a highly valuable gold coin. In 2019, an example sold for $1 million at Baldwins of St James.
This was the coin that held the world record hammer price for a British coin before the 1937 Edward VIII Gold Sovereign came and stole its crown.
1663 Petition Crown
The Petition Crown was designed in 1663 by Thomas Simon who was a celebrated English medallist and coin designer.
This pattern coin was sent directly to King Charles II from Thomas Simon as a personal petition against the modern coins designed by John and Joseph Roettiers.
The design shows the bust of King Charles II with laurel leaves in his hair, the inscription reads ‘CAROLVS II. DEI. GRA’ and on the reverse are crowned cruciform shields of England, Scotland, Ireland and France.
The intricacy of the engravings portrays even the shadows of the King’s veins on his neck. That is how much detail Thomas Simon always went into with his designs.
In 2023, The Royal Mint released a range of modern commemorative coins inspired by the 1663 Petition Crown. This celebrated 360 years since the original pattern coin was struck and brought this unique coin and design back into the spotlight.
In 2024, a highly graded example was sold for $960,000. A big jump from the last example that sold in 2018 for $649,000.
1933 George V Penny
The 1933 George V penny is one of the rarest British coins with only six or seven believed to have been minted.
These copies were minted for the British Museum and the Royal Mint Museum and were to be buried under new buildings.
The obverse featured King George V and on the reverse featured a seated Britannia. A lot of fake versions of these coins exist due to its fame, often created by altering the date on other widely owned George V pennies.
Suggested article: The History of Britannia on Coins
In 2016, a mint condition penny sold for £72,000. Recently, Baldwins were displaying a penny that sold at auction for £127,248.
Rare and valuable British coins offer a unique window into the nation’s history and craftsmanship. From exceptional designs to incredibly scarce examples, these remarkable pieces continue to fascinate collectors and preserve stories from Britain’s past.
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