Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D)
The Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) 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 Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) 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 Double Decker Bus 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 Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) rare?
- It is scarcer than most A to Z 10p coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) coins were made?
- 304,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) made of?
- Nickel-plated steel. It weighs 6.5 g and measures 24.5 mm.
- Is the Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) still legal tender?
- Yes. Every A to Z 10p is legal tender in the UK at face value.
Why the Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) was made
Britain has had double deck buses since the days of horse-drawn omnibuses, but one model fixed the idea in the world's imagination. The Routemaster entered service in London in 1956. It was designed for the capital's streets, light for its size, with an open platform at the back where passengers could hop on and off between stops while a conductor walked the aisle taking fares. Painted red and built to last, Routemasters carried Londoners for nearly half a century and only left regular service in 2005. Many have been preserved by enthusiasts.
Away from London, double deckers of every shape carry people to school, work and the shops in towns across the country. Tourists treat a seat on the top deck, ideally right at the front, as one of the cheapest sightseeing tours going. Toy models, souvenir tins and postcards have made the red bus as recognizable as a black cab or a phone box. The Royal Mint gave it the letter D when it picked 26 symbols of Britain for its A to Z 10p series in 2018. It quickly became one of the designs people most wanted to find.
How to recognize it
A classic double decker bus appears with a large D, its two decks making it easy to identify at a glance. Apart from the design, nothing about the coin is special. It is nickel-plated steel, 24.5 mm wide, 6.5 g in weight, with the milled edge used on every current 10p. The obverse shows Queen Elizabeth II as portrayed by Jody Clark, with the date beside the portrait. Since the bus design was released twice, that date tells you which issue you hold: 2018 for the larger launch run or 2019 for the smaller reissue. Pack coins sold by the Royal Mint have a brighter, even finish than anything pulled from a till.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D) ranks 9th lowest of 26 circulating A to Z 10p coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the Cricket 10p (Letter C) (304,000); the next more common is the English Breakfast 10p (Letter E) (304,000).
It was the only circulating commemorative A to Z 10p dated 2018.
Of the 304,000 Double Decker Bus 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 Double Decker Bus 10p (Letter D)
- Confirm the letter and picture: D for Double Decker Bus, 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.
There are 220,000 Double Decker Bus 10p coins dated 2018 and 84,000 dated 2019. The difference comes down to timing. The 2018 coins were part of a huge launch with heavy publicity, while the 2019 coins slipped into change with less fuss and in far smaller numbers. By then a lot of people were searching, so the 2019 coins disappeared quickly. Expect to find the 2018 version first. A sharp 2019 bus is the prize and collectors will pay a small premium for one with little wear.
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
What bus is on the D 10p coin?
The D coin shows a classic double decker in the spirit of the London Routemaster, which entered service in 1956 and left regular routes in 2005. It represents the double decker as a British icon rather than any one route.
How many Double Decker Bus 10p coins are there?
The Royal Mint struck 220,000 dated 2018 and 84,000 dated 2019 for circulation. That makes 304,000 in total, with the 2019 date being much harder to find in everyday change.
Mintage figures: Ten pence (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.