A to Z 10p Coins: Every Letter and How Many Were Made

How many of each letter were made

In 2018 every letter had the same mintage of 220,000, so no letter from that year is rarer than another. The 2019 reissue is where the differences appear. Most letters got 84,000, Q got 83,000, R got 64,000 and W, Y and Z got 63,000 each.

Add the two years together and most letters total 304,000. Q totals 303,000, R 284,000 and W, Y and Z 283,000. In practice the 2019 W, Y and Z are the hardest to find, followed closely by the 2019 R. Set against the vast number of ordinary 10p coins in use, even the commonest letter is a small issue, which is why so many people save them.

All 26 A to Z 10p coins

Mintage is the 2018 and 2019 runs together; each page splits them.

All 26 designs

Each coin shows a large letter alongside a small illustration of its theme. The choices run from landmarks and institutions to food, drink and national habits like queuing.

• A is for Angel of the North, B for Bond... James Bond, C for Cricket, D for Double Decker Bus
• E is for English Breakfast, F for Fish and Chips, G for Greenwich Mean Time, H for Houses of Parliament
• I is for Ice Cream Cone, J for Jubilee, K for King Arthur, L for Loch Ness Monster
• M is for Mackintosh, N for NHS, O for Oak Tree, P for Postbox
• Q is for Queuing, R for Robin, S for Stonehenge, T for Tea
• U is for Union Flag, V for Villages, W for World Wide Web, X for X Marks The Spot
• Y is for Yeoman Warder, Z for Zebra Crossing

Telling 2018 from 2019

The designs didn't change between the two years, so the date is the only difference. Both years have Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the other side. Sort your coins by date before anything else. Any 2019 letter is worth setting aside, while a 2019 R, W, Y or Z is the prize of the series.

Like every 10p since 2012, these are nickel-plated steel and will stick to a magnet. That's normal and tells you nothing about whether a coin is genuine.

How to complete a set

Start with your change. The coins went into general circulation, so a patient eye at the till still turns them up. Ask friends and family to check their jars too, because one person can easily hold a dozen letters without knowing it.

• Decide first whether you want one of each letter or a full run of 52 covering both dates
• Keep a simple checklist of letters and dates so you don't double up
• Swap your duplicates with other collectors; local coin clubs and collector groups do this all the time
• Store the coins in an album or flips so they don't pick up fresh scratches
• Leave the 2019 W, Y and Z until last, since they're the hardest gaps to fill

Are A to Z 10p coins rare?

They're scarce compared with ordinary 10p coins, but they aren't rarities. A circulated letter is close to face value. Uncirculated coins, a complete set or a sharp 2019 W, Y or Z can bring a small premium. The Royal Mint also sold the letters in collector packaging, which is a shortcut if you'd rather not wait for change.

Treat sky-high asking prices with caution. What matters is what coins in the same condition as yours actually sell for, not what someone hopes to get.

How the set came about

In 2018 the Royal Mint released 26 new designs on the 10p, one for every letter of the alphabet, each celebrating something quintessentially British. A was for the Angel of the North, B for Bond... James Bond, all the way to Z for the zebra crossing. The Royal Mint called it the Great British Coin Hunt and struck 220,000 of each letter for circulation. The coins went straight into everyday change. Almost overnight people began checking every 10p that passed through their hands.

To help, the Royal Mint produced a collector map with a space for each letter, so families could track their finds and fill the gaps one by one. The hunt quickly spread to classrooms, workplaces and online groups, where people swapped duplicates and compared notes on which letters were turning up. It was a cheap and easy way for children to get into coin collecting, since every coin could be found in change for its face value.

In 2019 the Royal Mint issued all 26 designs again, this time dated 2019 and in much smaller numbers. Most letters had 84,000 coins struck, while Q had 83,000, R had 64,000 and W, Y and Z had just 63,000 each. The 2019 coins arrived with less publicity. Many were snapped up by collectors who were already hunting. That makes them far harder to find than the 2018 coins. A full set across both years is 52 coins and the 2019 W, Y and Z are the toughest to track down.

Completing the set from change

The best way to complete a set is simply to check every 10p you are given. Look at the reverse for the letter design and then at the date beside the Queen's portrait. Ask family and friends to save any A to Z coins they find and offer to swap your duplicates with other collectors. Shops, cafés and markets that handle a lot of cash are often good places to ask, since they see a steady stream of coins.

Keep your coins clean but never polish or scrub them, since that leaves scratches that collectors notice straight away. Hold them by the edges and store them in a collector map, album or small coin holders. Separate your 2019 coins from your 2018 ones, especially R, W, Y and Z, which are the hardest to find. With patience and a bit of luck, a full set of 26 letters is very achievable from change alone.

Frequently asked questions