2016 Last Round Pound £1 Coin
The 2016 Last Round Pound £1 is a Royal Mint collector issue that was never released into circulation. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2016
- Issued as
- Collector packs and sets only
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Nickel-brass (70% copper, 24.5% zinc, 5.5% nickel)
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2016 Last Round Pound £1 worth?
This design was never released into circulation. The Royal Mint sold it in brilliant uncirculated packs and annual sets, so almost every example is a collector piece. One found in change is still legal tender at 1 pound; out of its pack it brings a small premium at most, while a coin still sealed in its original packaging is what collectors want.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with crisp edge lettering
- Original Royal Mint pack or set
- A genuine mint error confirmed by an expert
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2016 Last Round Pound £1 rare?
- It is scarcer than most £1 coins. It was never issued into circulation, so most examples are in collector packs.
- How many 2016 Last Round Pound £1 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The Mint sold this design only in packs and sets.
- What is the 2016 Last Round Pound £1 made of?
- Nickel-brass (70% copper, 24.5% zinc, 5.5% nickel). It weighs 9.5 g and measures 22.5 mm.
- Is the 2016 Last Round Pound £1 still legal tender?
- No. The round pound stopped being legal tender on 15 October 2017. It can no longer be spent in shops; collectors still want the scarce dates.
Why the 2016 Last Round Pound £1 was made
The round pound had served Britain since 1983, outlasting the £1 note it replaced and carrying dozens of designs through more than three decades. By 2016 its replacement was ready. The 12-sided pound was being struck in its hundreds of millions. The round coin would be withdrawn the following year. The Royal Mint marked the moment with a farewell coin for collectors, the Last Round Pound.
It was made for collectors and never issued into circulation. You will not find it in change. It was never paid out by banks. Instead it was sold in packs and sets as a keepsake of the coin so many people had grown up with. That makes it unlike almost every other round pound. It was designed to be kept, not spent. Its design looked back proudly to the heraldry that had featured on so many earlier pounds while closing the story of the round coin. Within months the 12-sided pound took over. On 15 October 2017 the round pound stopped being legal tender.
How to recognize it
The reverse shows four heraldic beasts, a design created specifically for this farewell issue and quite different from any circulating round pound. That makes it easy to identify: if your 2016 round pound shows heraldic animals rather than a shield or the full coat of arms, this is the coin. The obverse carries Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen in the diadem, signed JC, with the date 2016. The edge reads DECUS ET TUTAMEN, the inscription used on the very first round pound in 1983. Like all round pounds, it is a single-metal nickel-brass coin, 22.5 mm across and 9.5 g in weight.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2016 Last Round Pound £1 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2016 Last Round Pound £1 because none were released to banks. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £1 coins dated 2016 were Shield of the Royal Arms.
No commemorative £1 coin dated 2016 was released for circulation, which is why so many people hunting change for new designs never see this one.
What to check on your 2016 Last Round Pound £1
- Read the edge. It should say DECUS ET TUTAMEN; an edge that doesn't match the design is the quickest sign of a fake.
- Turn the coin over on its vertical axis: on a genuine pound the design side is the same way up as the portrait. A tilted or upside-down reverse points to a copy.
- Weigh it: a genuine round pound weighs 9.5 g. Fakes are often light, soft in detail or a slightly different color.
- Remember that round pounds stopped being legal tender on 15 October 2017, so a common one has no use in shops.
Because it was never issued for circulation, the Last Round Pound exists only as a collector coin. It carries a collector premium. Examples still in their original packs are the most wanted. If you have one in its pack, keep it sealed to protect the surfaces. A loose example should look bright and unworn. A worn coin claiming to be a Last Round Pound has been handled outside its pack and deserves a careful look. Compare the beasts with official images and check the edge lettering for crisp, even letters.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 pound |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2016 |
| Circulation mintage | None (collector issue) |
| Composition | Nickel-brass (70% copper, 24.5% zinc, 5.5% nickel) |
| Weight | 9.5 g |
| Diameter | 22.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered: DECUS ET TUTAMEN |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2016 £1 coins
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Shield of the Royal Arms £1 Coin | Collector issue | Small premium |
| Nations of the Crown £1 Coin (2016 to 2022) | 1,404,146,369 | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
Was the Last Round Pound ever in circulation?
No. The 2016 Last Round Pound was made only for collectors and sold in packs and sets. It was never released into change, so finding one in a jar of old pounds means it came out of its packaging at some point.
What is on the Last Round Pound?
The reverse shows four heraldic beasts, a design made for this farewell issue. The obverse has Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen and the 2016 date. The edge reads DECUS ET TUTAMEN, as on the first round pound.
Mintage figures: One pound (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.