2016 Shield of the Royal Arms £1 Coin
The 2016 Shield of the Royal Arms £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 Shield of the Royal Arms £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 Shield of the Royal Arms £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 Shield of the Royal Arms £1 coins were made?
- None were made for circulation. The brilliant uncirculated mintage was 30,000.
- What is the 2016 Shield of the Royal Arms £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 Shield of the Royal Arms £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 Shield of the Royal Arms £1 was made
By 2016 the round pound's days were numbered. The 12-sided coin had been announced, a winning design had been chosen and the Royal Mint was striking the new pounds in vast quantities ahead of a 2017 launch. There was no need for more round pounds in change, so the 2016 shield of the Royal Arms was never issued for circulation.
It was made instead for collectors, in brilliant uncirculated form, with 30,000 recorded. This pairing of Matthew Dent's familiar shield with Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen is the final dated shield pound, closing a design run that had begun in 2008. For many collectors it rounds off a set of the shield coins, taking in both portraits and every year from 2008 to 2016. Because it was sold to collectors, most examples are still in their packaging or sets. If one turns up loose among old pounds, it has almost certainly left its pack at some point, which is worth knowing before you assume you found it in change.
How to recognize it
Matthew Dent's shield of the Royal Arms appears on the reverse with ONE POUND beneath, the same design used since 2008. The obverse shows Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen in the diadem with the initials JC and the date 2016. No 2016 round pound uses Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait, so a 2016 coin signed IRB should be treated as a fake. The edge is DECUS ET TUTAMEN. Both the 2015 collector shield and this coin carry the Clark portrait, so the date is what separates them. Check the legend carefully, since the two otherwise look identical in every detail.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
2016 Shield of the Royal Arms £1 by the numbers
No circulation mintage exists for the 2016 Shield of the Royal Arms £1 because none were released to banks. The published brilliant uncirculated mintage is 30,000. The Royal Mint's other collector-only £1 coins dated 2016 were Last Round Pound.
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 Shield of the Royal Arms £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.
With only 30,000 made and none issued for circulation, the 2016 shield is one of the scarcer round pounds and carries a collector premium. Coins still in their original packaging are the most desirable. Taking one out exposes it to handling marks, so leave it sealed if you can. Loose examples should still look bright and unworn. If a supposed 2016 shield looks worn, check it very carefully, because a genuine coin should never have been in circulation. Confirm the date, the JC initials, the edge lettering and the overall sharpness of the shield.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 pound |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2016 |
| Circulation mintage | None (collector issue) |
| Brilliant uncirculated mintage | 30,000 |
| 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 Last Round Pound £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 2016 shield pound ever in circulation?
No. The 2016 shield pound was made only for collectors, in brilliant uncirculated form, with 30,000 recorded. By then the Royal Mint was preparing the 12-sided pound, so no new round pounds were needed for change.
Is the 2016 £1 shield coin rare?
It is scarce by round pound standards. Only 30,000 were made, all for collectors, compared with millions for every circulating shield year. A genuine example in its original packaging carries a collector premium.
Mintage figures: One pound (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.