• The Royal Mint’s fourth auction of trial pieces sees lots sell up to 32x estimated value.
• Notable items include a Harry Potter 50p and an England football £5 coin.
• The Royal Mint has seen record number of auction participants since the first auction held in 2021.

15 February:

Bidders at an auction hosted by The Royal Mint have made record-breaking purchases, buying one-of-a-kind pieces for up to 32 times their estimated value.  

The latest trial pieces auction, which took place from 19 January to 11 February, was The Royal Mint’s fourth and largest to date. More than 250 lots were on sale, including a Harry Potter 50p and a Pride of England £5 coin.

A trial piece is the first sample struck using a new die and is carefully inspected by coin makers to ensure it meets their exacting standards. Trial pieces are not classed as official UK coins and are ‘one of one’ – making them incredibly sought after collectables.

Each trial piece bears a hallmark showing the quality of the metal and a unique latent security feature, designed by The Royal Mint’s Chief Engraver, Gordon Summers. Combined, these features authenticate that the trial piece is a genuine item made by The Royal Mint.

The Royal Mint has seen an increase in the number of auction participants since 2021, with active users reaching 6,500.

Notable trial pieces which exceeded predicted sales values include;

• Brilliant Uncirculated 2022 Harry Potter 50p Trial Piece: Estimated value £200, sold for £1,302.08 (651% over).
• Brilliant Uncirculated 2022 100^th Anniversary of the Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb £5 Trial Piece: Estimated value £200, sold for £1,354.15 (677% over)
• Bullion 1oz Silver 2023 Coronation Trial Piece: Estimated value £200, sold for £1,750 (729% over)
• The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III 2023 Celebration Sovereign Struck on 6 May 2023: Estimated value £2,400 sold for £6,458.33 (269% over)
• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022 50p Brilliant Uncirculated Trial Piece: Estimated value £200 sold for £2,312.50 (964% over)
• The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III Five-Sovereign Gold Brilliant Uncirculated Trial Piece: Estimated value £8,000 sold for £14,062.49 (176% over)
• Pride of England 2023 £5 Silver Proof Trial Piece: Estimated value £260 sold for £1,437.50 (552% over)

Lucy Mackenzie, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said: “Trial piece auctions are extremely popular among collectors due to the rarity of each piece available. We continue to see tremendous growth, and we are excited to give collectors the opportunity to own these very special one-off pieces”.

Matthew Curtis, Historical Numismatic Specialist at The Royal Mint said: “The Royal Mint is uniquely placed to be offering these rare and one-of-a-kind trial pieces at auction. Each item has played a vital role in bringing a final design to life, and collectors are essentially owning a part of numismatic history.”

Since its establishment in 2018, The Royal Mint’s Collector Services Business Division continues to experience significant growth in the UK and internationally. The Royal Mint introduced and hosted its first ever auction in 2021, offering one-of-a-kind trial pieces to collectors across the globe.