A robin perches inside the R, with snowflakes scattered around the letter and snow across its top. The Robin 10p is one of the alphabet’s most seasonal designs. Choose it for a bird lover, a Christmas gift or the R space in your own collection.
The bird inside the letter
The design draws on the robin’s familiar Christmas-card association, noted by both the Royal Mint and Westminster’s alphabet guide. The bird fits neatly into the letter’s upper loop, making R part of the scene.
The snowflakes have different shapes, so there is more detail to enjoy than the first small image suggests. The standard coin is silver-coloured rather than painted with a red breast.
Why collectors compare the years
R’s circulation mintage is 220,000 for 2018 and 64,000 for 2019. That 2019 figure is lower than most letters, though W, Y and Z are lower still at 63,000 each.
The same Robin reverse appears in both years. Choose the date missing from your album, or collect the pair to include both issues.
This makes 2019 R one of the series' lowest-mintage circulation issues. Collector editions are additional, and the circulation figure is neither a surviving population nor our stock count. See how rarity and value differ.
A nature-themed pair
Add O: Oak Tree for leaves and an acorn beside the winter bird. The raincoat and raindrops on M: Mackintosh take the weather theme in another direction. Each gives you different detail to enjoy in a small selection.
Choose your Robin coin
Compare the R coins above to see the current price and availability for each year. If it is a gift, check whether a holder is included and allow for delivery before your occasion.
Shop the 2018 R 10p · Shop the 2019 R 10p Our Robin coins from both years are in Uncirculated condition.
Check the date beside the Queen’s portrait before comparing Robin prices. Our current Uncirculated retail prices are shown in the year cards. A resale comparison needs completed R sales from the same year and with similar condition and packaging.
R 10p coin facts and collector sales
Recognise the design: Robin with R. Both dates use this reverse; read the year on the Queen's portrait side.
- Denomination and metal
- 10p, nickel-plated steel
- Size and weight
- 24.5 mm, 6.5 g
- Edge
- Grained
- Design attribution
- The Royal Mint Team (reverse); Jody Clark (obverse)
These specifications are recorded in The Royal Mint's R issue archive. The official design proclamation describes the motif and edge.
Circulation mintage: 220,000 for 2018 R and 64,000 for 2019 R. These low circulation figures explain the rarity of these dated coins in change. They exclude collector editions and do not count the Uncirculated coins available today.
The alphabet series launched in March 2018. The 2019-dated circulation rollout began in February 2019, according to the original programme FAQ. For bags, cards and albums, see our packaging comparison.
2018 R: official Uncirculated collector sales
| Published category | Sales |
|---|---|
| Complete sets | 37,992 |
| Single coins | 110,935 |
| Total sales | 148,927 |
The complete-set figure contributes one R coin per set. These categories and the total are published in the 2018 collector sales record.
2019 R: official collector sales by format
| Published category | Sales |
|---|---|
| Uncirculated coin | 4,264 |
| In retail packaging | 1,249 |
| In trade bags | 8,000 |
The 2019 record separately lists 15,660 complete 26-coin sets, each containing one R coin. It does not give a combined total for this letter, so we keep the product categories separate.
How to read these records: collector sales are separate from circulation mintages. They are not production limits, surviving quantities or our stock levels. Historical packaging categories do not establish the packaging or origin of a coin currently for sale.
Primary records checked 11 October 2026.
Sources
- The Royal Mint: Robin alphabet design
- The Royal Mint: UK 10p circulation mintages
- The Westminster Collection: A–Z design guide (2018)
- The Royal Mint: collector Uncirculated A–Z programme FAQ
- The Royal Mint: 2018 collector coin sales
- The Royal Mint: 2019 collector coin sales
- The Gazette: official A–Z 10p design proclamation
