THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
- Romiley Coins
- May 28
- 4 min read
BACKGROUND
The history of coinage in Britain dates back to the Iron Age. This involved a slow and gradual transition from ancient trade tokens and Roman currency to the complex pre-decimal system (pounds, shillings, and pence) used for centuries.
Under the Pre-Decimal system, each coin was known by it's name rather than the declared face value. For example, the Farthing (1/4 of a penny) or the Crown (6d).
Some of the coins also developed nicknames such as 'the bob' (one shilling) which entered common discourse in the UK.
In 1969, a brand new coin - the fifty pence - was introduced in readiness for Decimilisation in 1971.
Decimilisation simplified the Great British Pound - with 100 pence to every pound. But this meant the older coins became defunct and a brand new set of coins were introduced which are still used to this day.
This blog explores the different designs of the 'definitive' coins used in the UK in the post-decimilisation era.
THE FIRST DEFINITIVE COLLECTION: THE HERALDIC EMBLEMS (1969-2008)
Designed by Christopher Ironside, the coins featured a unified set of traditional British heraldic emblems (pictured above):
1p: Crowned portcullis with chain
2p: The Badge of the Prince of Wales
5p: Crowned Scottish Thistle
10p: Crowned lion passant guardant
20p: Crowned Tudor Rose
50p: Britannia seated beside a lion, holding a trident and an olive branch.
Did You Know?
Christopher Ironside was later commemorated on a 50p coin in 2013.
The first definitive set was released annually until 2008, with proof and BU sets produced by the Royal Mint alongside the millions minted for circulation. The £1 coin was not introduced until 1983 and the £2 coin in 1997, thereafter these were then included in the Royal Mint Annual sets.
Early coins also included the words 'NEW PENCE' on the reverse, to distinguish them from pre-decimilised coins. This was dropped in 1982 and from this point only the numerical value was stated on the coins.
The set also included a half-penny which was dropped in 1984 due to lack of demand.
Several of the original coins were later reduced in size and weight, with the larger heavier coins being withdrawn. The older coins are sought after amongst collectors as many are now only available in annual sets.
THE SECOND DEFNITIVE COLLECTION: THE ROYAL SHIELD (2008-2022)
Introduced in 2008 and designed by Matthew Dent, the Royal Shield definitive coins feature segments of the Royal Arms on UK denominations from 1p to 50p (pictured above). When arranged together, these coins create a complete, puzzle-like jigsaw of the Royal Shield.
The Royal Shield was also chosen as the design for the definitive £1 coin between 2008-2015 (as pictured). In 2015 the definitive £2 coin design changed from the 'Technology' - which has been used since inception, to the 'Britannia' - which was a tribute to Ironside's Britannia 50p.
As many of the Heraldic Emblem coins remained in circulation, the demand for the Royal Shield coins has fallen since the 2010's resulting in lower mintage figures and in some cases zero mintage in certain years.
An example of this is the 2018 Royal Shield 50p, which was not released into general circulation. Therefore, it is only available in Royal Mint Annual sets making it rare and valuable.
In 2016 a new 12-sided £1 coin was introduced. The coin featured the flowers of the UK four nations and remained the only annual £1 coin design released by the Royal Mint until 2023.
THE THIRD DEFINITIVE COLLECTION: KING CHARLES FLORA & FAUNA (2023-present)
First released in October 2023, this is the first definitive coin collection of the King Charles III reign. The new designs celebrate British flora and fauna (pictured) having been approved by the King himself.
The first collection (2023) also featured a special privy mark on the obverse to distinguish them as BU coins.
Unlike the previous definitive collections, these coins have been slow to enter circulation due to a low demand for coinage.
To date, only the following coins have entered general circulation:
2023 King Charles Oak Leaf and Acorn 5p (non-privy)
2023 King Charles Atlantic Salmon 50p (non-privy)
2023 King Charles Bees £1 (non-privy) 2025 King Charles Bees £1
The Atlantic Salmon 50p is now the rarest 50p coin in circulation, with only 200,000 released. It surpassed the record held by the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p.
Initially it was believed only a small number of 2025 Bees £1 coins would be circulated but this was later negated by a second release - taking the total to around 9 million.
The King Charles coins are already proving to be popular amongst collectors, not just due to the adorable designs but also the scarcity value and uncertainty around future mintage.
SHOP THE COLLECTION ON OUR WEBSITE OR EBAY STORE
Britannia £2 coins
Royal Shield 50p coins
Royal Shield Small Change sets (1p-20p)
King Charles definitives (2023-2026)
Published May 2026
Comments