A £1 coin from 2025 featuring King Charles III has fetched more than 122 times its nominal value at auction.
The piece, displaying the monarch’s portrait alongside a bee motif on its reverse side, realised £122.08 on August 17.
Bidding activity for the item had drawn considerable interest prior to the sale.
A production flaw resulted in a portion of the King’s portrait merging into the coin’s gold outer rim, creating an appearance as though the upper section of his head had been severed.
This defect, which should not occur during standard minting processes, is widely considered to have driven the exceptional sale price.
An online listing for the coin documented the anomaly, describing it as a 2025 King Charles £1 Coin minting error featuring an oval centre and the head in the outer ring.
The £1 denomination was initially introduced in April 1983 as a replacement for the £1 note.
The original incarnation was circular in shape, thicker than other denominations, and distinguished by its yellow colouring.
A transition to the current 12-sided configuration occurred in 2017.
Among British decimal coinage, the 50 pence piece holds the distinction of being the most sought-after by collectors.
Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest British coin in circulation, providing sufficient surface area for commemorative artwork.
Over the past five decades, the denomination has frequently been employed to mark significant national occasions.
Coin scarcity represents the primary factor influencing collector value, with mintage figures denoting the total quantity of each design variant serving as the fundamental metric for enthusiasts.
Beyond rarity, the physical state of a piece and the presence of any production errors can substantially affect its market worth.
Sales channels also play a role in determining value, with some vendors favouring online auction platforms while others prefer transactions through established coin dealers.
A ranking of the ten most valuable 50 pence designs reveals the following production figures: Atlantic Salmon from 2023 was minted to 200,000 units; Kew Gardens from 2009 had a mintage of 210,000; Olympic Wrestling from 2011 reached 1,129,500; Olympic Football from 2011 totalled 1,161,500; Olympic Judo from 2011 also reached 1,161,500; Olympic Triathlon from 2011 was produced at 1,163,500; Peter Rabbit from 2018 numbered 1,400,000; Flopsy Bunny from 2018 matched that figure at 1,400,000; Olympic Tennis from 2011 was minted to 1,454,000; and Olympic Goalball from 2011 reached 1,615,500 units.