Selling old and rare coins on eBay is a great way to earn beer money. Some sellers with finer collections may even make a few hundred or a couple of thousand dollars selling old coins they found just sitting in their homes.
However, the sums of money spent on valuable coin auctions where truly rare and old coins are sold are truly unbelievable. Check out the top ten most valuable British coins ever sold and their final selling prices.
Top 10 Most Valuable British Coins Ever Sold
Edward VIII 1 Sovereign
Queen Victoria 5 Pounds
King William IV 5 Sovereigns
King George V 1 Sovereign
Queen Anne 5 Guineas
King George III 1 Crown
King George III 1 Sovereign
King Edward III 1 Florin
King Charles II 1 Crown
King George III 5 Guineas
1. Edward VIII 1 Sovereign
Dubbed “the coin that never was” by The Royal Mint, the Edward VII 1 sovereign is arguably the rarest coin in British history and undoubtedly the most expensive British coin ever sold.
Its mintage was scheduled to begin in January 1937, but the king abdicated in December 1936, so no other coins were ever made, apart from the patterns.
It is believed there are only six of them in existence today, and one of them was sold for €1,760,000 at an auction in 2021.
2. Queen Victoria 5 Pounds
In addition to being one of the rarest, the Queen Victoria 5 pound coin from 1839 is widely considered one of the most beautiful coins ever made.
However, British collectors' coins are judged on rarity, not beauty, and this coin has that as well. Even though only a few hundred of them were ever made, there are also many different variations of the coin, making it truly exceptional.
One unique variation of it was sold for €1,027,080 at an auction in 2021, making it the second most expensive UK coin ever sold.
3. King William IV 5 Sovereigns
All coins minted during King William IV’s reign are considered valuable British coins. The king only ruled for seven years, between 1830 and 1837, and not many coins were minted over these years, which means they are all rare.
However, one particular King William IV 5 sovereign pattern, which was never released, reached a price of €820,000 at an auction in 2020, and is still the third most expensive UK coin of all time.
4. King George V 1 Sovereign
King George V’s 1 sovereign, dated 1920, is one of the most valuable UK coins and was minted in Sydney, Australia.
The coin was sold for €818,289 at an auction in 2012, and has a fascinating origin story.
There were actually around 360,000 sovereigns minted in the Sydney mint in January 1920, but all of them were dated 1919. Four months later, in April 1920, a politician from New South Wales ordered several sovereigns to be minted for his golden wedding anniversary, creating some of the rarest and most expensively sold coins in history.
5. Queen Anne 5 Guineas
In 1702, at the battle of Vigo Bay, an Anglo-Dutch expedition captured a bullion of gold and sent it for minting. Only the guineas minted from the looted Spanish gold were inscribed with the word VIGO.
One such coin, made in 1703, was sold at an auction in 2019 for €784,170. Experts believe that no more than 20 VIGO guineas exist today.
6. King George III 1 Crown
During the great recoinage of 1816 and the re-introduction of sovereigns as a British currency, crowns were also re-introduced.
One crown from that time, precisely from 1817, featuring King George III’s face and the three graces, was made as a pattern, but it was never released.
The coin was sold for €708,800 at an auction in 2018, where it was speculated that it is probably unique. Not much is known about it, apart from being one of the most expensive coins ever sold.
7. King George III 1 Sovereign
The British sovereign currency is particularly appealing to collectors. Formerly known as the English sovereign, its history goes back to 1489.
The British sovereign, however, was first minted in 1816 as a part of the great recoinage. In 1820, the same year King George III died, a new golden sovereign was minted. The coin had only one type, though it had a few different variations, mainly associated with the numerals.
One such rare coin was sold for €625,000 in 2021, making it one of the most valuable British coins.
8. King Edward III 1 Florin
Florin, also known as the double leopard, is a British currency that was only minted for six months in 1344, which explains why stumbling upon one of them is almost impossible.
The most recently discovered British florin was sold for €578,285 at an auction in 2006. Currently, there are only three golden florins whose location is known, making them one of the most wanted coins by collectors around the world.
9. King Charles II 1 Crown
The origins of the crown coin go back almost 500 years, and over the years, the minting of the coin was stopped and restarted multiple times. Even today, all commemorative crowns minted after 1990 are considered rare British coins, serve as legal tender, and are worth £5.
Crown coins were traditionally made of silver, though one King Charles II 1 crown coin made of gold was sold for €551,980 at an auction in 2021.
10. King George III 5 Guineas
One of the rarest British coins, Guinea, was a British currency minted for over 150 years between 1663 and 1814, though some guinea coins are much rarer and more valuable than others.
One such specimen was sold for €530,750 at an auction in 2021. The reason behind its value is its rarity. Only between 11 and 20 golden King George III 5 guinea coins, minted in 1773, exist today.
The Bottom Line
As you could see from the list above, almost all of the most valuable British coins, including the only two in history sold for over a million, only reached their highest prices a few years ago. Considering that collectors are always on the hunt for additions to their collections, the rankings will likely change in a few years. It is only a matter of time before all ten coins on the list have seven-digit values.
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