Overlooked coins in old Quality Street tins: the years and mint marks collectors say could fetch hundreds of pounds

The old tin is heavier than you remember.

You crack the faded Quality Street lid, expecting a tangle of buttons and blunt drawing pins. Instead, there’s a shallow drift of coins: dull coppers, grimy silvery discs, a couple of big, dark pennies with a seated Britannia peering through the dust. They look like nothing. They might be something.

Across the UK, metal detecting forums and coin collectors’ groups are full of the same story: a relative’s biscuit or sweet tin, forgotten at the back of a wardrobe, turns out to hold a coin that pays for a holiday, a boiler, or quietly tops up a pension. The trick is knowing which dates and tiny marks to look for – and which handfuls of change are best taken straight to the bank.

Most coins in your old Quality Street tin will be common. A few, in the right year and condition, can be worth hundreds of pounds.

Why sweet tins hide some of the best finds

Before online banking and contactless cards, spare change had to live somewhere. For decades, that “somewhere” was often an old Quality Street or Roses tin under the bed, in the airing cupboard or at the back of the sideboard.

People swept coins off dressing tables, emptied coat pockets and, after decimalisation in 1971, quietly put obsolete shillings and pennies aside “just in case”. Others tucked away the odd gold sovereign or foreign coin brought back from a trip, because they felt “too nice to spend”.

Those tins are little time capsules. They freeze a moment when:

• Pre-decimal coins were suddenly no longer legal tender.
• Silver content still gave older coins more than face value.
• Rare commemorative designs ended up mixed with everyday small change.

Collectors say these tins are most likely to yield either silver-era coins, older large pennies, or early versions of now-collectable 50p, £1 and £2 pieces – sometimes in better condition than the same coins found in change today.

Years and designs that deserve a second look

Not every “old-looking” coin is rare. Age helps, but mintage figures, metal content and mistakes at the Mint matter more. Focus first on coins that collectors actively hunt.

1. Pre-decimal silver: shillings, florins and half-crowns

If your tin holds coins dated before 1971 – especially 6d, 1s, 2s (florin) and 2s6d (half-crown) – look at the year.

• Coins dated pre-1920 are sterling silver (92.5%).
• Coins dated 1920–1946 are 50% silver.

Even in worn condition, these are worth more than face value for their metal content alone, and scarcer years or nicer grades can fetch a premium.

Pay particular attention to:

• Victorian and Edwardian shillings and florins in crisp condition.
• George V and early George VI silver with clear detail and no deep scratches.

One nicely preserved pre-1920 half-crown can be a £20–£50 piece; unusual dates or very high grades go higher. A whole handful of mixed silver can quietly add up.

2. Large pennies and halfpennies: key dates hiding in plain sight

Those big, dark coins with Britannia are pre-decimal pennies and halfpennies. Most are extremely common, but a few dates are famous for their rarity.

• The legendary 1933 penny: only a tiny number were struck. An authentic one in a tin is vanishingly unlikely – but if you see “1933” on a big penny, stop and get it checked.
• 1950 and 1951 pennies: mainly issued for sets, not circulation. If genuinely found loose and not damaged, they can attract collectors’ interest and strong prices.
• Victorian pennies with very sharp detail, or unusual varieties (small differences in lettering, portrait or date spacing) can also be valuable in the right grade.

Because fakes exist, anything that appears to be an ultra-rare date should be treated gently and shown to a reputable dealer or auction house before you get too excited.

3. Old 50p pieces: the famous Kew Gardens and friends

Quality Street tins from the 1990s and 2000s often swallow early 50p pieces – especially if someone “saved all the special ones”.

The standout modern rarity is:

• 2009 Kew Gardens 50p: shows the pagoda at Kew. Low mintage means strong demand. In top uncirculated condition, collectors have paid over £150; even circulated but decent examples can still reach significant sums.

Also worth a look:

• 2011 Olympic 50p series: 29 different sports. Most are modestly collectable, but a few scarcer ones and early design variants (like the original Aquatics with lines across the swimmer’s face) can climb towards the tens of pounds, more in pristine condition.

If you find multiple clean commemorative 50ps in a tin, check each design and year before spending them.

4. Round £1 coins: city arms and low-mintage designs

Round pound coins were withdrawn in 2017, and many ended up exactly where you’d expect: rattling in old tins and drawers. Most are worth £1. A few bring more.

Look for:

• £1 coins with city or national emblems, for example:
  • 2011 Edinburgh £1 (city arms).
  • 2010 London, 2010 Belfast, 2014 floral emblems.
• Coins with noticeably sharp detail and minimal wear.

The Edinburgh £1, in particular, has fetched well over face value in good condition. Not usually “hundreds”, but a nice bonus if you find several desirable designs.

5. £2 coins and error pieces: small differences, big premiums

Most commemorative £2 coins (bi-metal, gold-coloured centre) are common. A few combinations of design + country can be much scarcer.

Among the better-known are:

• 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 coins: four versions with tiny flag icons in the centre. The Northern Ireland version is the rarest, followed by England, Scotland and Wales. Crisp examples can sell for many times face value.

Error coins and “mules” – where the wrong obverse and reverse are paired, or where inscriptions are missing or doubled – can make the biggest leap. These sometimes slip into circulation unnoticed and end up squirreled away.

The same is true of the famous undated 20p (a mix-up between old and new dies around 2008). Confirmed examples have sold for three-figure sums, especially in high grade.

6. Gold sovereigns and foreign travellers

If your tin rattles with something heavier – especially a coin about the size of a £1 but noticeably weightier and gold-coloured – look closely. Many families quietly tucked away:

• Gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns.
• Foreign gold or silver coins brought back from travel.
• Pre-euro European coins that now only hold collector value.

This is where mint marks and tiny letters can transform a coin’s worth. A sovereign struck at a branch mint – for example:

• “S” for Sydney
• “M” for Melbourne
• “P” for Perth
• “C” for Ottawa
• “SA” for South Africa

can be far scarcer than a London issue of the same year, especially in excellent condition. Some combinations of date and mint mark stray well into the hundreds, even thousands, for top-grade pieces.

If you suspect a coin is gold, do not clean or scratch it. Note the date and any tiny letters near the bottom of the design and speak to a dealer, not just a scrap buyer.

Tiny marks that matter: dates, letters and metal

When collectors talk about “mint marks” and “varieties”, they mean the small details that separate a £1 coin from a £100 one.

Key places to look:

• The date: on most UK coins, near the bottom of the reverse (tails) or obverse (heads).
• Tiny letters in the exergue (the strip under the main design) or near the rim.
• The edge inscription: on £1 and £2 coins, words or symbols on the edge can reveal an error if they don’t match the design.

These clues tell you:

• Where a coin was struck (mint mark).
• Which version of a design you have (variety).
• Whether two parts of the coin were meant to go together (mule or error).

A simple magnifying glass makes this much easier. Many collectors use their phone camera zoom as a first pass, then check promising pieces more carefully later.

Here’s a compact way to think about it:

Coin type	What to check	Why it matters
Pre-1947 silver	Year and monarch	Silver content + scarcer dates
Modern commemorative	Exact design + year	Low-mintage issues (e.g. Kew 50p)
Gold / foreign	Tiny mint letters + fineness	Branch mints and rarer issues

How to sort a tin without ruining its value

The temptation is to tip everything out, scrub it shiny, and see what you’ve “rescued”. That’s the one thing collectors beg people not to do.

A simple, gentle process works better:

1. Tip onto a soft cloth
   Avoid hard surfaces that can add scratches to already tired coins.

2. Separate by country first
   UK coins in one pile, foreign coins in another. Foreign pieces can be surprisingly valuable, so don’t dismiss them.

3. Sort UK coins by era

   • Pre-decimal (larger sizes, shillings, florins, old pennies).
     
   • Decimal (from 1971 onwards – 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 50p, £1, £2).

4. Pick out the older silver-coloured coins dated before 1947
   Put these aside as a “silver group”.

5. Check stand-out modern designs
   Look through 50p, £1 and £2 coins for designs you don’t recognise or that match known rarities.

6. Resist cleaning
   Polishing wipes away original surfaces and can slash a coin’s value. Light dust with a soft, dry cloth is usually as far as you should go at home.

If you’re unsure, take clear, well-lit photos of both sides and, if relevant, the edge. Online collecting forums and local coin clubs can often help you decide whether something merits a professional opinion.

When a coin is worth hundreds – and when it isn’t

Collectors often repeat the same three rules: rarity, condition, demand.

• Rarity: A low-mintage coin, especially from a branch mint or short-lived design.
• Condition: Sharp details, minimal wear, original lustre. A rare coin in poor condition might still be modest; the same coin crisp and bright can leap in value.
• Demand: Is it actively sought after? Famous rarities like the 2009 Kew 50p or rare sovereign dates draw more bidders.

A coin that ticks all three boxes is where “spare change in a Quality Street tin” suddenly becomes “several hundred pounds at auction”. That might be:

• A scarce branch-mint sovereign in high grade.
• A rare error coin authenticated by a specialist.
• An early silver coin in exceptional condition.

By contrast, buckets of 1971 pennies, modern 2p pieces and common commemoratives look dramatic but usually carry only face or metal value.

The aim is not to assume every old coin is treasure, but not to miss the few that quietly are.

FAQ:

• Are all pre-decimal coins valuable?
  No. Many pre-decimal pennies, halfpennies and low-grade copper coins are so common that dealers pay very little for them. Silver denominations (shillings, florins, half-crowns) dated before 1947 tend to be more promising because of their metal content and scarcer dates.
• My tin is full of 1971 pennies – should I keep them?
  In general, 1971 pennies and 2p coins were produced in huge numbers and are worth face value in circulated condition. Unless they are in uncirculated sets or have an obvious error, most people choose to bank or spend them.
• Should I clean coins before selling?
  No. Cleaning, polishing or using chemicals almost always reduces a coin’s value by removing original surfaces and leaving hairline scratches. Collectors prefer honest, even toning over artificial shine.
• Where can I get coins from a tin valued?
  Start with reputable local coin dealers, established auction houses with numismatic departments, or recognised coin fairs. Online collector forums can help you shortlist which coins deserve a professional look before you travel.
• What about commemorative crowns and £5 coins?
  Many modern crowns and £5 pieces were minted in large quantities for collectors and often trade close to face value unless struck in silver or gold. Check whether yours are base metal or precious metal; the latter usually have their metal value as a baseline.