Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L)
The Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) is a circulating A to Z 10p with 304,000 made. Value band: small premium. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2018
- Circulation mintage
- 304,000
- Value band
- Small premium
- Composition
- Nickel-plated steel
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) worth?
The A to Z 10p coins were made in small runs for circulation (220,000 dated 2018 and 84,000 dated 2019 for this letter). They were made to be collected. A circulated Loch Ness Monster 10p brings a small premium to collectors filling a set, more for the scarcer 2019 date and more again in uncirculated condition.
What would make yours worth more:
- The scarcer 2019 date
- Uncirculated condition
- An original collector card or pack
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) rare?
- It is scarcer than most A to Z 10p coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) coins were made?
- 304,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) made of?
- Nickel-plated steel. It weighs 6.5 g and measures 24.5 mm.
- Is the Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) still legal tender?
- Yes. Every A to Z 10p is legal tender in the UK at face value.
Why the Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) was made
Loch Ness runs for about 23 miles through the Scottish Highlands along the Great Glen. It is so deep that it holds more fresh water than all the lakes of England and Wales put together. Its peaty water is so dark that divers can barely see their own hands. Tales of a creature in the River Ness go back to an account of Saint Columba in the sixth century. The modern legend began in 1933, when a new road along the north shore gave drivers a clear view of the water and reports of something large moving in the loch reached the newspapers.
In 1934 the famous "Surgeon's Photograph" appeared to show a long neck rising from the water. Sixty years later it was revealed as a hoax made with a toy submarine, but by then Nessie was world famous. Sonar sweeps, expeditions and even DNA sampling of the loch have failed to find a monster, which has done nothing to stop visitors from hoping. The Royal Mint chose Nessie for L in its 2018 A to Z 10p series. The coin was among the most talked about letters and is especially popular with visitors to Scotland.
How to recognize it
The L coin shows the Loch Ness Monster in the water, with the letter L placed alongside. It is a standard modern 10p in size and makeup: nickel-plated steel, 24.5 mm in diameter, 6.5 g, finished with a milled edge. Queen Elizabeth II appears on the obverse in the portrait by Jody Clark, with the year next to her. Nessie was issued twice, dated 2018 and 2019. The two share the same reverse, so the date is your only guide to which version you have. Worn coins lose the ripples in the water first, which makes a crisp example easy to spot.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) by the numbers
In mintage terms the Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L) ranks 17th lowest of 26 circulating A to Z 10p coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the King Arthur 10p (Letter K) (304,000); the next more common is the Mackintosh 10p (Letter M) (304,000).
It was the only circulating commemorative A to Z 10p dated 2018.
Of the 304,000 Loch Ness Monster 10p coins, 220,000 are dated 2018 and 84,000 are dated 2019. About 2.6 coins were dated 2018 for every one dated 2019, which makes 2019 the date to look for.
What to check on your Loch Ness Monster 10p (Letter L)
- Confirm the letter and picture: L for Loch Ness Monster, with the date 2018 or 2019.
- Check the date. The 2019 coins had much smaller runs, so the same letter is scarcer with a 2019 date.
- Look at the surfaces under a light: coins from collector packs have unbroken luster, while change-worn coins show scuffs on the letter and design.
- Keep sets in order in a holder rather than loose; scratches on the large flat letter are easy to see.
There are 220,000 Loch Ness Monster 10p coins dated 2018 and 84,000 dated 2019. Nessie has a wide fan base outside the coin world, which means circulated examples get kept as souvenirs more often than some other letters. The 2019 date suffered from the same squeeze as the rest of that year's reissue: far fewer struck and a large group of collectors already watching for them. A well kept 2019 Nessie is a good find. One with little wear can earn a small premium.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2018 |
| Circulation mintage | 304,000 |
| Composition | Nickel-plated steel |
| Weight | 6.5 g |
| Diameter | 24.5 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Portrait | Clark |
Other 2018 A to Z 10p coins
Frequently asked questions
How many Loch Ness Monster 10p coins were made?
The Royal Mint struck 220,000 for circulation dated 2018 and another 84,000 dated 2019. The 2019 Nessie is much less common in change and is usually the one collectors still need to complete their set.
Why is the Loch Ness Monster on a British coin?
Nessie is one of the best known legends in Scotland and draws visitors from all over the world. The Royal Mint chose it for the letter L in its 2018 series of 26 British icons.
Mintage figures: Ten pence (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.