This article looks in depth at the A-Z Alphabet 10p coins issued by the Royal Mint and the history behind the designs of each coin. We will also look at the mintage figures, how rare each coin is and the potential value of the coins. We also make some predictions about how much these coins may be worth in years to come.
Back in 2018, the Royal Mint’s A to Z 10p coin hunt was released to celebrate all things British and recognise everything that makes Britain so great. It invited avid coin collectors to collect all of the 26 alphabet 10p coins which featured British icons and famous British landmarks. It was described as the 'Quintessential A to Z' 10 pence coin collection.
The following year, the Royal Mint released the 2019 version, which had the same designs as the 2018 10p collection, but had 2019 on the obverse.
All coins entered circulation with a total of 5.7 million A-Z 10p coins being released in 2018 and only 2.1 million 2019 A-Z 10p coins being released the following year.
Purely on mintages alone, it is clear to see that 2019 A-Z 10p coins are rarer and more sought after by collectors. The chances of finding these coins in your change, however, is very slim indeed.
It was rumoured that the Royal Mint were thinking of issuing these A-Z 10p coins going into 2020 but, with the lack of demand due to the pandemic, these plans were shelved.
Just as a side note, there were no 'normal' shield design 10p coins released in either 2018 or 2019, with these only being available from annual sets.
The Design of each 10p coin
Each letter of the alphabet is represented on a different ten pence coin, starting with the letter A which has a design representing the Angel of the North and finishing with Z showing a Zebra crossing. So in total there are 26 different A-Z 10p coins to collect that were minted in 2018. The same designs of each letter were used in 2019, as we said, the only difference being these coins have the 2019 date on the obverse, as pictured below, rather than 2018.
So let’s look at the design and history of each coin in turn starting with the letter A
A - Angel of the North
The Angel of the North is the largest sculpture in the whole of the UK and thought to be the largest angel sculpture in the world.
It was designed by sculptor Sir Antony Gormley and cost £800,000 to create. Made from Cor-ten steel, it weighs a whopping 200 tonnes and can withstand winds of more than 100 mph. It was officially unveiled in February 1998 with construction starting 4 years earlier.
The design of the reverse shows a representation of the famous statue "Angel of the North"with a large letter A to the left.
B - Bond 007
James Bond is a hero fictional character that has stood the test of time since debuting in film character nearly 60 years ago, in the debut film Dr. No.
Created by novelist Ian Fleming, James Bond is the coolest British Secret Service agent hero.
The reverse features the trademark image of all James Bond movies: 007 with a gun pointing to the right. Above that, a large letter B; below, a small symbol for trademark: TM. Value and denomination are on the obverse.
C - Cricket
Cricket is considered as Britain's favourite pastime and captures the heart of the nation. In the 18th century it became the country's national sport and was played at all levels of society.
Newly formed at Lord's cricket ground in 1835, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) devised cricket's formal rules and laws that are still used today.
The reverse design denotes a cricket player batting; to left (and overlapping the figure), a large letter C. The value and denomination are on the obverse.
D - Double Decker Bus
People from all over the world, associate the famous red bus with our capital city. and the world famous Double Decker Bus is an iconic symbol of London.
George Shillibeer started operating his horse drawn omnibus service from Paddington to the city in 1829 and his idea soon caught on with the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) being created in 1855 to make official buses available to the public.
A quirky coin with a representation of the famous double decker bus, with a large letter D superimposed centrally.
E - English Breakfast
Dating back to Victorian times when two meals a day was the norm, the English Breakfast, or more affectionately known as a 'fry up', features an array of ingredients including eggs, sausage, bacon, black pudding, grilled tomato, baked beans, fried bread and toast.
It has become a well-loved by the British people and this coin is a representation of this hearty meal.
On the reverse, a representation of a traditional English breakfast, featuring an array of ingredients including bacon, eggs, sausage, black pudding, baked beans, grilled tomato, mushroom and toast; to the left, a large letter E. Bon appetit!
F - Fish and Chips
Another food themed coin on the list, there’s nothing more British than freshly cooked, piping hot, fish and chips.
A favourite of Winston Churchill himself, nothing can beat fish and chips smothered in salt and doused with vinegar, eaten from newspaper on the sea-front. Chippy tea anyone?
A representation of the iconic British meal, "fish and chips" is shown on the reverse with a fried fish at the centre, surrounded by fried potato chips, all traditionally placed on top of a piece of old newspaper; superimposed centrally, a large letter F.
G - Greenwich Mean Time
The Royal Observatory Greenwich is famous world-wide as the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is used as the baseline for time zones around the globe.
Engineer and inventor, Sandford Fleming, first pushed for a global 24-hour clock and it was agreed, by the International Meridian Conference, that the concept of a universal day should come into affect and would begin at Greenwich midnight.
A partial world map, displaying the Greenwich meridian as a vertical line is shown on the coin with a large letter G to the left. Value and denomination are on the obverse.
H - Houses of Parliament
The Houses of Parliament is the oldest royal palace in London and one of most recognised buildings in the world.
The most famous part of the building is the Clock Tower which houses, Big Ben.
There is a crowned portcullis with chains (an adaptation of the Badge of Henry VII and now the Badge of the Palace of Westminster) with a large letter H above on the reverse of the coin. Some sellers show the coin upside down on their listings.
I - Ice Cream
The nation's favourite treat no less. Delicious ice-cream is loved by children and adults alike. What's your favourite flavour?
The first known recipe for ice cream was published in Mrs. Mary Eales's Receipts in London in 1718, since them all manners of shapes, colours and flavours have been developed.
A cone of ice cream with a chocolate stick in it is designed on the coin, but it's not worth 99p, just 10p! To the left, there is a large letter I.
J - Jubilee
As we celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee with the bunting and a street party, the design of this coin portrays an iconic image of occasions where we celebrated the life and reign of our longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
The reverse features a heavily ornamented carriage, the Gold State Coach, which has been a splendid and beloved sight at royal coronations, jubilees, and events since it was built in 1762. Below the carriage is a large letter J.
K - King Arthur
King Arthur is recognised all over the world as one of the most famous characters of myth and legend.
According to legend, Arthur lived in the mythical city of Camelot and formed a Round Table of some 150 knights. He spearheaded the resistance of Britons against the invading Saxons, Jutes, and others from the north of Europe, sometime in the fifth and sixth centuries AD.
With a large ornamental letter K at the centre of the coin, the reverse is a representation of the legendary Round Table of King Arthur, with the king himself presiding on a high-backed chair in the middle, and twelve knights seated around; superimposed centrally.
L - Loch Ness Monster
It exists, right? The most talked about mythical beast in British folklore is the Loch Ness Monster.
Known as Nessie, in 1871 D. Mackenzie spotted an object, similar to a log or an upturned boat “wriggling and churning up the water”. After this story was passed to Rupert Gould, a Royal Navy Commander, author and radio personality, interest in the Loch Ness Monster increased.
It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or more humps protruding from the water. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with a number of disputed photographs and sonar readings.
On the reverse is a Scottish lake, with an old tower in the background; in the foreground, an artist's impression of the Loch Ness Monster (informally known as Nessie); to the left, a large letter L around which the monster's tail is curled.
M - Mackinosh
We, the British. love talking about the weather, and particularly the rain. For a lot of Britons, the Mackintosh is an item that accompanies them every day.
Invented by Charles Macintosh in the mid-19th century, the Macintosh (also spelt Mackintosh) was a revolution. It was made by sandwiching a layer of naphtha and rubber between two layers of fabric, the fabric only found its true calling when the Macintosh company merged with clothing company Thomas Hancock.
This is represented on the reverse of the coin by a male silhouette wearing a "mackintosh" (upper garment) in the rain; with a large letter M to the left.
N - NHS
The NHS is one of the oldest and iconic nationalized health service providers in the world and was formed in 1948.
Held at its heart is the three core principles which have guided it to greatness: That it meets the needs of everyone; that it is free at the point of delivery; and that it is based on clinical need, not the ability to pay.
A stethoscope curved around a large letter N, part of the curl forming a heart symbol can be seen on the reverse.
O - Oak
The mighty Oak has made its way throughout the UK and is a symbol of strength and endurance.
It is the national tree for England and Wales, as well as the emblem for County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The Scottish are particularly fond of storing their fine Scotch Whisky in barrels made from the tree.
Oak trees can be found across the UK, on village greens or in the park. Many of these trees are some of the oldest trees in the country.
A small oak branch with three leaves and an acorn, twined around a large letter O are depicted on this reverse.
P - Post Box
The post box, or pillar box, was created Introduced in 1852 just 12 years after the introduction of the Penny Black postage stamp.
In 1874, the bright red colour was chosen to replace the 1859 green that had been introduced to standardise the boxes.
On the reverse is a representation of typical English street with houses visible on the left and a traditional post (mail) box to the right; to the left, a large letter P. The box has a monogram on it: VR, for Victoria Regina (Queen Victoria), indicating that it was installed during the reign of that monarch; such monograms are typical for Royal Mail postboxes.
Q - Queue
We know how to queue! For us British, queuing is part of everyday life whether that is in the shops or at a local attraction.
It was established as a social norm in the early 19th Century, where Britain is believed to have gained its reputation for queueing during major historical events, including the industrial revolution.
The reverse shows ten small symbolic human figures forming a queue through a large letter Q.
R - Robin Red Breast
The UK’s favourite bird, our charming red robin with its iconic red breast can be found chirping its happy tune in UK hedgerows, gardens, parks and woodlands.
Found front and centre on many yuletide cards, the charming robin is often associated with the festive season.
A robin (bird) perched on a large letter R covered in snow, with snowflakes falling in the background is depicted on the reverse.
S - Stonehenge
This pre-historic monument is shrouded in mystery, the historical site of Stonehenge, located in located in Wiltshire, England, is often considered to be the world’s most famous prehistoric monument.
The first monument at Stonehenge was built in approximately 3,000 BC and comprised a circular earthwork. By 2,500 BC this original site was changed with huge sarsen stones and smaller bluestone were raised, to form the incredible monument we see today.
It was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986, and Stonehenge continues to be one of Britain’s biggest tourist attractions to date.
A representation of the famous paleolithic monument known as Stonehenge, with the Sun shining between two large monoliths; to the left, a large letter S on the reverse.
T - Tea
It was actually the Portuguese who brought tea to our attention, and in particular, one woman, Catherine of Braganza.
The daughter of Portugal’s King John IV, Catherine won the heart of England’s King Charles II and moved to Britain to join her husband, with her favourite loose-leaf tea packed firmly in tow.
Originally a costly product imported from India, tea was initially adopted by the nobles and not long after, the upper class. Once demand was heightened, more and more tea was imported and the price was lowered, enabling the lower classes to indulge in the popular brew.
The coin's reverse design has a steaming teapot on a checkered table cloth with a large letter T to the left.
U - Union Jack
An iconic piece of Britain, the iconic Union Flag, often known as the Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom.
Symbolising the union of countries which make up the United Kingdom, the flag combines the three national flags of England, Scotland and Ireland. The red cross of St George, the white saltire on St Andrew and the red saltire of St Patrick, came together in 1801 to create the iconic Union Flag we see today.
Nowadays, you can spot the flag reigning high in many places, including at Buckingham Palace when the Queen is not in residence.
A representation of the Union Flag is depicted on the reverse with a large letter U on the left.
V - Villages
The village of Flash, in the Peak District has long been recognised as Britain’s highest village (or town), sitting 463m above sea level.
Villages and “village life” are a huge part of British culture, lots of tiny interconnected dwellings where everyone seems to know each other, and no business is private.
A reverse shows a typical English village, with houses visible in the foreground and a church spire in the background; a large letter V is centrally superimposed.
W - World Wide Web
The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 – the World Wide Web connects the entire world at the click of a button.
Starting with noisy old dial up to superfast fibre optic broadband, the World Wide Web is without doubt one of the greatest inventions in human history.
From the first web browser page in 1990, to Google, Wikipedia and Social Media, it’s now impossible to imagine life without it.
A spider web with a centrally superimposed large letter W represents the World Wide Web (also known as WWW) is featured on the reverse of the coin.
X - X Marks the Spot
The first recorded use of X marks the spot was in 1813, although it’s widely thought that it is much older than this.
From pirates and treasure hunters to famous explorers, the saying goes that X marks the spot where the bounty is held. It’s the point to head to on an expedition, it’s where the long-lost treasure is hidden and it’s often the final meeting point in countless films.
On the reverse, there is a representation of an old-style map showing a trail through mountains and palm trees, with a vertical line representing a sea shore and a sailing ship to the right; to the left, a large hand-written letter X marks a mystery place on the map.
Y - Yeoman Warder
Yeomen Warders, or to give them their official title, The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, were formed by King Henry VII in 1485 during the Tudor period.
Yeoman Warder’s have been immortalised on souvenirs, keyrings, pencil cases you name it, they adorn the signs outside countless restaurants and pubs and even sit proudly as the name of one of the nation’s favourite brands of gin, the Beefeater.
A Yeomen Warder (palace guard) in uniform can be seen on the reverse, with a crowned monogram E II R (Elizabeth II Regina - Queen Elizabeth the Second) on its breast, holding a lantern and to the left, a large letter Y. Further left, there is a large key hanging from a chain.
Z - Zebra Crossing
Not to be confused with a pelican crossing (PEdestrain LIght CONtrolled), the zebra crossing’s most distinguishing feature is its alternating black and white stripes on the road that resemble the coat of a zebra, hence the name zebra crossing.
Introduced in 1949, by James Callaghan, the then parliamentary security to the minister of transport, came up with the name ‘zebra’ as he believed it would be easily understood and remembered.
A representation of a "zebra" street crossing in a circle; superimposed centrally, a large letter Z is shown on the reverse.
The value and denomination are on the obverse of each ten pence coin.
The Design of the Obverse 10p Coin
The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (her effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait").
Below the Queen's head are the designer's initials JC for Jody Clark.
The inscription around the effigy says ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRA · REG · F · D · TEN PENCE · 2019.
Specifications
|
Denomination |
10p |
10p |
|
Year |
2018 |
2019 |
|
Diameter |
24.50mm |
24.50mm |
|
Weight |
6.50g |
6.50g |
|
Obverse Designer |
Matthew Dent |
Matthew Dent |
|
Reverse Designer |
Royal Mint Team |
Royal Mint Team |
|
Quality |
Circulation |
Circulation |
|
Total Mintage (all 26 coins) |
5,720,000 |
2,100,000 |
Different Versions of the Coin
Different versions of the coin were also released for coin hunters. Each letter had 15,000 Silver Proof Limited Edition versions made in 2018, so a total of 390,000 Silver Proof A-Z 10p coins were minted in 2018.
How rare are the A-Z 10p coins?
As we mentioned, with a total of 5.7 million A-Z 10p coins in 2018, for 10p coins this is a very
low mintage. Then, if we think that the total mintage is split over 26 letters, each coin has an individual mintage of just 220,000. To put this into a bit of perspective, the Kew Gardens 50p had a mintage of 210,000 so they are very rare.
To take this one step further, the 2019 versions of the A-Z 10p coins had a total mintage of just 2.1 million. Unlike the 2018 10p coins, that all had the same mintage (220,000), the 2019 10p coins had varying mintages as detailed below:
|
Letter |
Mintage |
|
A - Angel of the North |
84,000 |
|
B - Bond |
84,000 |
|
C - Cricket |
84,000 |
|
D - Double Decker Bus |
84,000 |
|
E - English Breakfast |
84,000 |
|
F - Fish and Chips |
84,000 |
|
G - Greenwich Mean Time |
84,000 |
|
H- Houses of Parliament |
84,000 |
|
I - Ice Cream |
84,000 |
|
J - Jubilee |
84,000 |
|
K - King Arthur |
84,000 |
|
L - Loch Ness Monster |
84,000 |
|
M - Mackintosh |
84,000 |
|
N - NHS |
84,000 |
|
O - Oak |
84,000 |
|
P - Post Box |
84,000 |
|
Q - Queue |
83,000 |
|
R - Robin Red Breast |
64,000 |
|
S - Stonehenge |
84,000 |
|
T - Tea |
84,000 |
|
U - Union Jack |
84,000 |
|
V- Villages |
84,000 |
|
W - World Wide Web |
63,000 |
|
X - X Marks the Spot |
84,000 |
|
Y- Yeoman Warder |
63,000 |
|
Z - Zebra Crossing |
63,000 |
As we can see the majority of the 2019 A-Z 10p coins have an incredibly low mintage of just 84,000, which is nearly 3 times as rare as the Kew Gardens 50p coin!
The three rarest coins with a mintage of just 63,000 are W – World Wide Web, Y - Yeoman Warder and Z – Zebra Crossing followed closely by the letter R – Robin Red Breast and finally just rarer than the rest we have the letter Q – Queue which has 1,000 less than the rest with a mintage of 83,000.
How much are the 2018 10p worth?
We have researched current market prices and based on the coins being in very good / excellent condition.
For the 2018 A – Z 10p coins where they all have the same mintage, the letter A is the most sought after. The reason for this being the majority of collectors begin to collect from the first coin of the series, the first one being A - Angel of the North. We value it around the £15 - £25 mark.
With it being more sought after the value is higher, next comes B - Bond and then C – Cricket. The slight blip in values comes at the other end of the collection where some may collect from the last letter, so the letter Z – Zebra Crossing is valued higher.
How much are the 2019 10p worth?
As we mentioned the 2019 A-Z 10p coins, are rarer and commission higher values. At the moment, the letter A again, as it is the first coin in the series, is the most sought after. Current estimates show that this coin value is going up daily, and it is now unlikely you will be able to source one for less than £30. As you would expect the letters W, Y and Z are also valued higher with the extremely low mintages, with values increasing daily.
R – Robin Red Breast is currently valued very highly in comparison. The letter Q – Queue is yet to show any real difference in value to the other coins with mintages of 84,000.
Our estimated values, for both years are as follows:
|
Coin Design |
2018 |
2019 |
|
A - Angel of the North |
£15 - £25 |
£25 - £35 |
|
B - Bond |
£8 - £10 |
£15 - £20 |
|
C - Cricket |
£6 - £7 |
£10 - £12 |
|
D - Double Decker Bus |
£5 |
£7 |
|
E - English Breakfast |
£5 |
£7 |
|
F - Fish and Chips |
£5 |
£7 |
|
G - Greenwich Mean Time |
£5 |
£7 |
|
H - Houses of Parliament |
£5 |
£7 |
|
I - Ice Cream |
£5 |
£7 |
|
J - Jubilee |
£5 |
£7 |
|
K - King Arthur |
£5 |
£7 |
|
L - Loch Ness Monster |
£5 |
£7 |
|
M - Mackintosh |
£5 |
£7 |
|
N - NHS |
£7 |
£8 |
|
O - Oak |
£5 |
£7 |
|
P - Post Box |
£5 |
£7 |
|
Q - Queue |
£5 |
£8 |
|
R - Robin Red Breast |
£7 |
£25 |
|
S - Stonehenge |
£5 |
£7 |
|
T - Tea |
£5 |
£7 |
|
U - Union Jack |
£5 |
£7 |
|
V - Villages |
£5 |
£7 |
|
W - World Wide Web |
£6 |
£20 |
|
X - X Marks the Spot |
£5 |
£7 |
|
Y - Yeoman Warder |
£5 |
£20 |
|
Z - Zebra Crossing |
£7 |
£20 |
Are the prices of these coins going up?
Definitely. These are hot coins at the moment and prices are increasing quickly. Each set of A-Z 10p coins were sold by the Royal Mint for £52 when first issued. It is clear from online trends that a full set of 2018 10p coins sell for double than what they were originally sold for. The 2019 are selling for a lot more and probably around three times their original retail price at the moment.
We can see these trends continuing as more and more collectors invest in these coins.
Where Can You Buy the A-Z 10p coins?
Online market places such as eBay have coins available, but as always, check out the seller, the listing description, photos and do as much research before buying.
If you would rather avoid eBay, we sell legitimate versions of the coins in excellent condition. If you enjoy collecting coins with historical value, check their out our site as we sell the majority of circulating coins and offer free delivery on every order.
The Royal Mint has an online shop where you can buy various coins in circulated, uncirculated, silver proof and gold proof condition, but as it has been so long since these coin were released, they no longer stock the A-Z 10p coins.