New 10p coin enters circulation - will you spot one?
A new ten‑pence piece bearing King Charles III’s portrait on the obverse and a capercaillie—a large grouse on the brink of extinction in Scotland—on the reverse has entered UK circulation. The Royal Mint released 600,000 coins dated 2023 and 6.5 million dated 2026 to banks and post offices after sufficient demand arose, marking the first new 10p design in about four years. Previously, only the 5p, 50p and £1 carried the king’s image; older coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II remain legal tender.
The capercaillie design, based on an illustration by former RSPB artist Mike Langman, highlights the bird’s precarious status, as the species has declined sharply and now appears on the UK conservation red list. Rebecca Morgan, director at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Wales, emphasized that the coin serves as a “stark reminder” that more of these coins will circulate than there are capercaillies left in the wild, hoping the widespread presence of the bird’s image will spark a national conversation about its survival. The redesign is part of a broader suite of flora‑ and fauna‑themed coins, from 1p to £2, unveiled in October 2023 to celebrate the king’s affinity for nature.
The initiative signals a shift toward wildlife motifs on British currency, with the Bank of England planning to replace historic figures such as Winston Churchill on future £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. A public vote involving hundreds of thousands of participants narrowed a shortlist of 18 animals, birds and insects, and the final decision, pending security considerations, will be made by Governor Andrew Bailey in the autumn. While King Charles III coins now account for roughly 1 % of the 24.1 billion coins in circulation, the limited supply of the new 10p pieces makes them especially attractive to seasoned numismatists and new collectors alike.
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