Hook: The final Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins are entering tills and pockets right now—marking the last time Britain’s longest-reigning monarch will debut on a circulating pound. For collectors, this is the kind of transition that turns small change into big history: the Royal Mint says 23.29 million 2022-dated £1s bearing the late Queen are being released alongside 7.565 million King Charles III £1 coins, for a combined 30.855 million new pounds entering circulation.
TL;DR: Final QEII pounds (dated 2022) are entering circulation and are expected to be the rarest QEII £1s in active use, while more of the King Charles III “bee” £1 joins the mix—plus a tiny 170,000-coin tranche dated 2025. Keep an eye on your change and your local Post Office.
Why this circulation drop matters now
Modern UK coinage is in a once-in-a-generation handover. In August 2024, the first King Charles III £1 coins—part of the new Definitive collection inspired by British flora and fauna—entered circulation in an initial batch of 2.975 millionpieces featuring the bee reverse. The 2025 wave adds 7.565 million more, including 170,000 newly dated 2025 coins, while the final QEII £1s also go out, closing the book on the Queen’s portrait for this denomination.
To frame scarcity, there are about 24.7 billion coins in UK circulation. Even after this latest release, Charles-era pieces remain a tiny fraction of the whole—one reason new designs are so collectible in change.
“Finding these new coins in your change could spark a rewarding hobby that connects you with the heritage, history and craftsmanship behind British currency,” a Royal Mint spokesperson noted during the handover announcement. (Paraphrased from Royal Mint communication.)
How many final Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins are entering circulation?
- 23.29 million QEII £1 coins, all dated 2022, are entering circulation. The Mint describes these as the rarest QEII £1s in active circulation and confirms they will be the final £1 coins to carry Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait.
- In the same wave, 7.565 million King Charles III £1 coins are being released—including 170,000 with a 2025 date. Earlier, 2.975 million 2024-released (but 2023-dated) bee £1s were issued.
Quick math: Adding the 2024 and 2025 distributions yields about 10.54 million bee £1s in the wild. Against 24.7 billiontotal coins, that’s roughly 0.043%—small enough that change-hunters should expect a chase, not an instant find. (Share derived from Royal Mint’s circulation total and press-release volumes.)
What to look for in your change
The QEII 2022-dated £1 (Nations of the Crown reverse)
- Obverse: Queen Elizabeth II portrait; date 2022.
- Reverse: Nations of the Crown design (crown with rose, thistle, leek, shamrock).
- Why it matters: Final QEII £1 to enter circulation; tagged as the rarest QEII £1 in active use per Royal Mint.
The King Charles III “bee” £1
- Obverse: King Charles III effigy (by Martin Jennings).
- Reverse: Bee design within the new Definitive series.
- When first issued: August 2024 (2.975m coins), with more in 2025 (7.565m; 170k dated 2025).
Where to find them: The Royal Mint routes new coins to Post Offices and banks before they spread through tills and change—so cash-heavy retailers are good early hunting grounds.
Final Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins vs. King Charles III £1 coins (at a glance)
| Feature | QEII 2022-dated £1 | KCIII “Bee” £1 (2023/2025 dates) |
|---|---|---|
| Release window | 2025 circulation handover | First issued Aug 2024; further release Aug 2025 |
| Volume in latest wave | 23.29 million | 7.565 million (incl. 170,000 dated 2025) |
| Earlier issuance | — | 2.975 million (Aug 2024) |
| Obverse | Queen Elizabeth II | King Charles III (Martin Jennings) |
| Reverse | Nations of the Crown | Bee (Definitive collection) |
| Collecting note | Final QEII £1; billed as rarest QEII £1 in use | Early-era Charles £1; small share of overall coin stock |
| Sources: Royal Mint press releases & guidance. |
Historical and market context: how rarity has played out before
Circulating rarity within the £1 denomination is not new. The poster child is the 2011 Edinburgh £1, generally recognized as the scarcest round-pound design at 935,000 minted—often trading well above face value in nice condition. That precedent shows how a low-mintage or short-run design can earn enduring collector interest.
Media outlets periodically spotlight values achieved by scarce pounds (Edinburgh pieces selling for multiples of face value, for example), but remember: grade, demand, and timing drive realized prices. A rough coin plucked from change will not fetch the same as an uncirculated example.
Pros and cons for each audience
For U.S. and UK-based collectors and numismatists
Pros
- Historic endpoint for QEII on the £1 denomination—an obvious hole-filler for type sets.
- Early-era KCIII change offers a clear collecting theme (2023-, 2024-, 2025-dated bee £1s).
- High findability through everyday transactions—no need to buy at a premium.
Cons / Risks
- Condition risk on circulation finds (bag marks, wear).
- Hype cycles can inflate short-term prices for common coins.
For coin industry professionals
Pros
- Clear storytelling: “last QEII £1s” vs “first KCIII bees.”
- Educational engagement opportunities (in-store posters, coin swap events).
- Potential for graded examples to anchor displays.
Cons
- Supply timing is uneven—new coins roll out over weeks/months via cash channels.
- Margins on circulation-quality examples can be thin; focus on high-grade pieces.
For coin investors
Treat both as collectibles first. Circulating volumes in the millions generally limit long-term price appreciation unless condition (e.g., PCGS/NGC MS-66/67) or varieties/errors introduce scarcity. Diversify and avoid overpaying during social-media spikes.
Are these coins “rare”?
It depends what you mean by rare. In absolute terms, millions of coins are not rare. But contextual rarity matters:
- Among QEII £1s currently in use, the Royal Mint says the 2022-dated pieces entering now are the rarest. That’s relative rarity within the QEII £1 category, not a claim that they’re rare across all UK coinage.
- As a share of all coins, even 10.54 million bee £1s (2024–2025 combined) comprise a sliver of the overall 24.7 billion-coin stock—hence the “hard to spot” experience for change hunters.
Balanced view: benefits and risks
Benefits
- Historically significant keepsakes you can find at face value.
- Educational gateway for new collectors (designs, heraldry, conservation themes).
- Type and date runs: 2022 QEII vs 2023/2025 KCIII give natural collecting goals.
Risks
- Condition sensitivity: Circulating coins pick up wear quickly.
- Speculative pricing: Media hype can briefly outpace fundamentals.
- Confusing statistics: Percent-of-circulation figures vary over time and across denominations; rely on primary Royal Mint releases for the most precise snapshots.
Data corner: key numbers at a glance
- QEII 2022-dated £1 entering now: 23.29m
- KCIII bee £1 entering now (2025 wave): 7.565m (170k dated 2025)
- KCIII bee £1 issued in Aug 2024: 2.975m
- Total bee £1s to date (est.): 10.54m
- Coins in UK circulation: ~24.7 bn
Sources: Royal Mint press centre (2024 & 2025 releases) and Royal Mint guidance on total coins in circulation.
Practical collecting tips
- Target cash-heavy venues. Post Offices, supermarkets, and transport kiosks tend to receive new bags first.
- Check both obverses and dates. QEII pieces will show 2022; KCIII bee £1s may show 2023 (first issue) or 2025(small tranche).
- Protect condition. If you pull a fresh-from-bag coin, place it in a small non-PVC flip or capsule to avoid contact marks.
- Consider grading only for exceptional examples. Submitting heavily marked circulation coins seldom makes economic sense.
- Learn the benchmarks. For rarity context, study prior £1 standouts like the 2011 Edinburgh (935,000 mintage).
Mini case study: the 2011 Edinburgh £1
The 2011 Edinburgh £1 (round-pound era) remains a touchstone for scarcity in circulation: 935,000 minted, widely acknowledged as the rarest circulating £1 design of its time. Nice examples sell for multiples of face value, especially uncirculated pieces. The lesson isn’t that every themed pound will soar; it’s that design + mintage + condition together drive long-term collectability.
FAQs
Are the final QEII £1 coins legal tender?
Yes. All UK coins depicting Queen Elizabeth II remain legal tender and will co-circulate with King Charles III coins for years, enabling a smooth transition.
How soon will I see the new coins?
The Mint distributes to banks and Post Offices first; coins then enter tills and change over the coming weeks. Local availability varies.
Which bee £1 dates exist so far?
Most circulating bee £1s are 2023-dated (issued Aug 2024), with a much smaller 2025-dated group (about 170,000coins) released with the 2025 wave.
Are these coins rare enough to be valuable?
They’re scarce in the short term because the Charles-era share of circulation is tiny, but values depend on grade, demand, and varieties. For reference, genuine outliers like the 2011 Edinburgh owed their premiums to an exceptionally low mintage and condition.
Where can I verify official numbers?
Use the Royal Mint Press Centre releases for the latest totals and dates. We’ve cited those sources throughout this article.
Bottom line and call-to-action
The final Queen Elizabeth II £1 coins close a historic chapter just as King Charles III’s bee £1 takes flight. The volumes are in the millions, not thousands, so treat these as collectibles you can find at face value—with long-term significance anchored in their timing, not just their mintage.
Action step: Grab some cash, visit your Post Office or a cash-heavy retailer, and start checking your change. Prioritize fresh condition, keep notes on dates, and build a small type set that captures the handover—QEII 2022 and KCIII 2023/2025 bee. It’s affordable, historic, and a perfect entry point for family coin-hunting this month.
