Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II £5 Coin Collection
In the last century, the late Queen Elizabeth II became the most frequently depicted monarch in British history. Throughout her reign, five different portraits of Her Majesty appeared on UK coinage, each capturing a unique era in her life and reign.
In the Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II £5 coin series, each effigy is being celebrated on a UK coin once more. All five coins have now been released – so let us take a closer look at each remarkable portrait in turn.
Mary Gillick Portrait
The first coin in the Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II £5 Collection features the very first portrait of Her Majesty by Mary Gillick.
Mary Gillick was the first artist chosen to design a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and remains the only female designer of a UK coinage effigy to date.
Her portrait debuted in 1953, showing the young Queen uncrowned with a laurel wreath – a classical symbol of victory and honour. This design is especially significant as it was the last portrait to appear on pre-decimal UK coinage before decimalisation took place in 1971.
Add the Mary Gillick Portrait £5 to your collection now >>
Arnold Machin Portrait
The second effigy was created by Arnold Machin, whose design featured on the very first decimal coins issued in the UK. Introduced in 1968, his portrait shows the Queen wearing the ‘Girls of Great Britain and Ireland’ tiara.
Machin’s work became iconic, not only gracing our coinage for nearly two decades, but also appearing on definitive British stamps from 1967 right up until 2023.
Add the Arnold Machin Portrait £5 to your collection now >>
Raphael Maklouf Portrait
In 1985, Israeli-born British sculptor Raphael Maklouf’s design was introduced as the ‘Third Portrait’. It depicts the Queen wearing the royal diadem, as well as jewellery including pearl earrings and necklace – a more regal representation of Her Majesty.
This effigy remained on our coins until 1997, and was also used on Commonwealth issues, making it one of the most widely recognised portraits of the Queen around the world.
Add the Raphael Maklouf Portrait £5 to your collection now >>
Ian Rank-Broadley Portrait
The ‘Fourth Portrait’ by Ian Rank-Broadley arrived in 1998. His bold, highly detailed likeness of the Queen portrayed a greater sense of maturity, reflecting her later years.
Rank-Broadley’s design was also distinctive in that it filled much of the coin’s field, influenced by Benedetto Pistrucci’s 1817 portrait of George III. This effigy remained on UK coinage until 2015.
Add the Ian Rank-Broadley Portrait £5 to your collection now >>
Jody Clark Portrait
In 2015, Jody Clark became the youngest designer to create a UK coinage portrait at just 33 years old. His effigy of Queen Elizabeth II was also the first to be created using computer-aided design software.
Clark’s portrait continues to feature on circulating UK coins today, even alongside new coins depicting King Charles III. It is a lasting reminder of Her Majesty’s extraordinary reign.
Add the Jody Clark Portrait £5 to your collection now >>
An Incredible Reign Celebrated
From the youthful uncrowned portrait by Mary Gillick to the digitally crafted likeness by Jody Clark, the five portraits of Queen Elizabeth II trace the story of a monarch whose reign spanned more than 70 years.
With the release of this new series, collectors now have the chance to collect all five portraits on beautifully designed UK £5 coins.
Continue your Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II £5 Collection
Add the 2026 UK Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II Jody Clark £5 to your collection >>
Or Secure The Entire Set If You Missed It
Secure the Entire 2026 Portraits of a Queen £5 Collection >>
How much are your RARE coins and banknotes worth? Your August 2025 eBay Tracker update!
Do you have a rare coin or banknote in your collection and often wonder ‘how much could it be worth?’ Whilst there’s no definitive answer when valuing coins, you can take a look on the secondary market to get a ballpark figure.
In our latest eBay Tracker Update, we’ve done the hard work for you to work out how much the top 10 UK coins and banknotes are selling for right now…
In June 2024, we made some changes to the coins and banknotes we track, to make sure we’re looking at the most sought-after ones right now. You might notice that your favourite coin or banknote that we’ve tracked in the past is missing, but you can always check out our previous eBay Tracker updates to see how their value has changed over time.
eBay Tracker
** UPDATE 22/09/25 **
It’s now been announced that a further 8.84 million 2025 Bee £1 coins are being released into circulation, meaning it’ll actually have a circulating mintage of 9,010,000. This eBay Tracker was published before the announcement and therefore refers to the 2025 Bee £1 as the rarest £1 in circulation.
2025 Bee £1
Following the announcement in August 2025 that the 2025 dated Bee £1 coin had an initial circulating mintage of just 170,000 – we temporarily added it to our eBay Tracker. Since then, it’s been announced that 8.84 million more 2025 Bee £1 coins have entered circulation, giving more collectors the chance to find one!
The median selling price for 2025 Bee £1 coins sold after the announcement on 20th August 2025 was £12.90, a 30% increase from those sold before the news.
Do you have a 2025 Bee £1 in your collection? Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones to have found it in circulation, or perhaps you have the 2025 Definitive Set which includes the 21025 Bee £1 in Brilliant Uncirculated quality – let us know in the comments!
2023 Salmon 50p
It’s been almost a year since we heard that we have a new rarest UK 50p in circulation – the 2023 Salmon 50p! In October 2024, it was announced that the 2023 Salmon 50p had a mintage of just 200,000, 10,000 less than the previous rarest 50p – the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p.
Despite the 2023 Salmon 50p now being the rarest UK 50p in circulation, it appears that some of the excitement around it has faded since our last eBay Tracker update, as the median selling price has fallen by 23%.
Kew Gardens 50p
Now the second rarest UK 50p in circulation, a 2009 Kew Gardens 50p can set you back around £120 on the secondary market, which is a 16% decrease since our last update – but still a great return on a 50p coin!
Undated 20p
When it comes to coins that many collectors dream to find in their change, the Undated 20p is right at the top of the list. With no official mintage figure and the mystery of just how many slipped into circulation, this little error coin has become legendary!
In this eBay Tracker, the median selling price sits at £44, which is actually £19.95 lower than our last update. So, if you’ve been holding out to secure one for your collection, now might be the perfect time to swoop in and secure one before prices creep back up.
2002 N Ireland Commonwealth Games £2
Just like the Kew Gardens 50p, the rarest £2 coin in circulation – the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2 – is one of the hardest coins to find in the wild, but often gets overlooked. With a circulating mintage of just 485,500, it’s one of the rarest coins out there, but having been in circulation for over 23 years, a large percentage of them have most likely been snapped up by collectors already.
Those that are willing to part with theirs are asking for around £34 on the secondary market, which is a £2.41 increase since our last update.
Valuation Index
Using the total price of the coins and banknotes tracked, the Valuation Index follows the rise and fall of their overall value, measured in points against the baseline set in January 2017.
Since the last update in December 2024, there’s been a 13% overall decrease in the value of the Top 11 coins and banknotes on the eBay Tracker. With secondary market prices falling, now might be the time to pick up one of these coveted coins or banknotes for your collection!
eBay Tracker FAQs
How does the eBay Tracker work?
The Change Checker eBay Tracker takes the last 9 sold prices on eBay and gives the median price achieved. By taking the median, rather than an average, we avoid skewing figures with excessively high or low prices.
Please note that the Change Checker eBay Tracker is only ever designed to be a guide as to prices achieved on eBay. Prices may vary depending on collector demand and the quality of the coin being sold. It does not provide any guarantee as to future values of coins.
My coin isn’t on the eBay Tracker
The eBay Tracker follows the movements of the top UK coins and banknotes, however if your coin doesn’t appear on the tracker you can use our 6 point guide to help determine the realistic value for your coin.
Find out more about your coins
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use!
Hunt is on to Collect the RAREST Queen Elizabeth II £1 Coin!
Listen up collectors! It’s just been announced that the 2022 dated Nations of the Crown coin is the rarest Queen Elizabeth II £1 in circulation and the hunt is now on to find one in your change!
Of the 23.29 million Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins set to enter circulation this year, just 7.735 million of these are 2022 dated, making it the rarest Queen Elizabeth II 12-sided £1 coin.
The decision to release more Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins into circulation marks a pivotal time for collectors. This is the end of an era for Queen Elizabeth II coinage, as no more coins featuring Her Majesty’s portrait on the obverse will ever be released into circulation.
So now really is the perfect time for both experienced numismatists and newcomers to dive into coin collecting and hunt down every Queen Elizabeth II coin in your change – starting with the £1 coins that have just been released into circulation!
Are you ready to take on the challenge to find the Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins in your change? With seven circulating Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins to be found, the hunt is on to find them all – including the rare 2022 £1 coin!
But, with the release of these final coins, the clock is ticking to complete your Queen Elizabeth II collection before it’s too late…
Queen Elizabeth II Coinage
For seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II was a staple of UK coins – featuring on the obverse of our circulating coinage, from the 1p to the £2.
Her sad passing in 2022 led to a redesign of our coins and the introduction of the Bee £1 to replace the familiar Nations of the Crown design, as seen below.
Whilst her effigy was still used on coins up until December 2022, any coins entering circulation that year were thought to be the very last Queen Elizabeth II coins we could find in our change.
However, The Royal Mint’s announcement on 20th August 2025 reveals that more coins featuring Her Majesty are set to enter circulation this year.
In an unusual turn of events, more coins dated 2021 and 2022 will shortly be finding their way into our change – giving collectors another opportunity to get their hands on the Queen’s last coins!
In fact, it’s even been announced that the 2022 Nations of the Crown £1 will be by far the rarest 12-sided £1 coin – with just 7.735 million entering circulation. Compare that to the 749.6 million Nations of the Crown £1 coins released in 2017 and you’ll appreciate just how rare this coin really is.
How does this affect £1 coin mintages?
With this announcement, we can update our Queen Elizabeth II 12-sided £1 coin mintage figure chart, which helps you see where these coins rank in terms of rarity.
Whilst the 2022 Nations of the Crown £1 tops the chart and is the rarest Queen Elizabeth II £1 you can find in your change, with over 7 million of these coins in circulation, collectors still stand a very good chance of finding one.
So the race is now on to track down the Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins in our change! Will you find all seven – including the rare 2022 £1 coin?
Let us know if you’ve managed to find any already in the comments below!
The Last Definitive Coins of Queen Elizabeth II
If you haven’t been lucky enough to find a 2022 Nations of the Crown £1 in your change, you can secure it in the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Last Definitive Coin Set, including all 8 definitive coins issued in 2022 – Her Majesty’s final year.
Secure the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Last Definitive Coin Set for your collection >>