Cricket 10p (Letter C)
The Cricket 10p (Letter C) is a circulating A to Z 10p with 304,000 made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2018
- Circulation mintage
- 304,000
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Nickel-plated steel
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 Cricket 10p (Letter C) worth?
The A to Z 10p coins were made in small runs for circulation (220,000 dated 2018 and 84,000 dated 2019 for this letter). They were made to be collected. A circulated Cricket 10p brings a small premium to collectors filling a set, more for the scarcer 2019 date and more again in uncirculated condition.
What would make yours worth more:
- The scarcer 2019 date
- Uncirculated condition
- An original collector card or pack
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the Cricket 10p (Letter C) rare?
- It is scarcer than most A to Z 10p coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many Cricket 10p (Letter C) coins were made?
- 304,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the Cricket 10p (Letter C) made of?
- Nickel-plated steel. It weighs 6.5 g and measures 24.5 mm.
- Is the Cricket 10p (Letter C) still legal tender?
- Yes. Every A to Z 10p is legal tender in the UK at face value.
Why the Cricket 10p (Letter C) was made
Cricket has been played in England for well over four centuries. Its rules were shaped long before most modern sports existed. The Marylebone Cricket Club was founded in 1787 and soon took charge of the Laws of Cricket from its home at Lord's in London, still known as the home of cricket. From village greens the game spread across the British Empire, which is why it is now loved in places as far apart as India, the Caribbean and Australia. Five-day Test matches still sit alongside quick, high scoring games designed for evening crowds.
The best known rivalry in the game began in 1882, when Australia beat England at the Oval. A newspaper printed a mock obituary saying English cricket had died and its body would be cremated, the ashes taken to Australia. England's next touring side set out to bring back "the Ashes," and a small urn has been at the center of the contest ever since. A sport so tied to summer afternoons, tea intervals and polite applause was always going to find a place in a list of British icons. C for Cricket was one of the 26 letters in the Royal Mint's 2018 A to Z 10p series.
How to recognize it
Look for a capital C combined with the gear of the game, a celebration of cricket rather than any famous player or match. It shares every physical detail with the rest of the series: a 24.5 mm nickel-plated steel 10p that weighs 6.5 g and has a milled edge. On the other side is Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the fifth portrait of her used on British coins, with the date next to it. That date matters more than anything else on the coin. Cricket 10p coins exist with 2018 and 2019 dates. The later one was made in much smaller numbers.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
Cricket 10p (Letter C) by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the Cricket 10p (Letter C) ranks 8th lowest of 26 circulating A to Z 10p coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the James Bond 10p (Letter B) (304,000); the next more common is the Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) (304,000).
It was the only circulating commemorative A to Z 10p dated 2018.
Of the 304,000 Cricket 10p coins, 220,000 are dated 2018 and 84,000 are dated 2019. About 2.6 coins were dated 2018 for every one dated 2019, which makes 2019 the date to look for.
What to check on your Cricket 10p (Letter C)
- Confirm the letter and picture: C for Cricket, with the date 2018 or 2019.
- Check the date. The 2019 coins had much smaller runs, so the same letter is scarcer with a 2019 date.
- Look at the surfaces under a light: coins from collector packs have unbroken luster, while change-worn coins show scuffs on the letter and design.
- Keep sets in order in a holder rather than loose; scratches on the large flat letter are easy to see.
Cricket follows the standard pattern for the series: 220,000 dated 2018 and 84,000 dated 2019. Neither is a large mintage for a 10p. The 2018 coins went out in the big launch and plenty are still in circulation, so they turn up reasonably often in change. The 2019 issue is a different matter, because there were far fewer and collectors were waiting for them. If you find one with bright surfaces and a crisp letter, keep it. Coins with heavy wear or scratches across the design draw much less interest.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2018 |
| Circulation mintage | 304,000 |
| Composition | Nickel-plated steel |
| Weight | 6.5 g |
| Diameter | 24.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2018 A to Z 10p coins
Frequently asked questions
How rare is the Cricket 10p?
The 2018 Cricket 10p had a mintage of 220,000, which is low for a 10p but common within the series. The 2019 version had only 84,000, so it is the one to look out for in change.
Can I still spend a Cricket 10p?
Yes. Every A to Z 10p is legal tender and works exactly like a standard 10p. Most people who find one keep it, though, because the series is popular and a full set takes real effort to finish.
Mintage figures: Ten pence (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.