Oak Tree 10p (Letter O)
The Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) 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 Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) 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 Oak Tree 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 Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) rare?
- It is scarcer than most A to Z 10p coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) coins were made?
- 304,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) made of?
- Nickel-plated steel. It weighs 6.5 g and measures 24.5 mm.
- Is the Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) still legal tender?
- Yes. Every A to Z 10p is legal tender in the UK at face value.
Why the Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) was made
The English oak is Britain's best loved tree. It can live for many centuries. Oaks support more species of insects, birds and fungi than any other native tree and their tough timber built cathedral roofs, timber-framed houses and the wooden warships of the Royal Navy. The patriotic song "Heart of Oak," written in 1759, is still the navy's official march.
The oak's place in British history was sealed after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The defeated Charles II escaped Parliamentary soldiers by hiding in an oak tree at Boscobel in Shropshire. After he was restored to the throne the "Royal Oak" became a symbol of loyalty, giving its name to hundreds of pubs and several Royal Navy ships. In Sherwood Forest the Major Oak, linked by legend to Robin Hood, draws visitors every year, its huge branches propped up to protect them. Acorns and oak leaves appear on badges, emblems and old coins alike. The Royal Mint chose the oak tree for O in its 2018 A to Z 10p series, the only tree in a set that also includes a garden bird and a zebra crossing.
How to recognize it
An oak tree appears with the letter O, a design rooted in the British countryside. The specification is standard for the denomination: nickel-plated steel, 24.5 mm across, 6.5 g, with a milled edge. Since it is steel, a magnet will attract it. The obverse shows Queen Elizabeth II in Jody Clark's portrait with the year beside it. The O design was issued in 2018 and again in 2019 with an unchanged reverse, which leaves the date as your only guide. Fine detail in the leaves is the first thing to wear away, so sharp foliage is a sign of a coin that has seen little use.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) by the numbers
By the numbers, the Oak Tree 10p (Letter O) ranks 20th lowest of 26 circulating A to Z 10p coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the NHS 10p (Letter N) (304,000); the next more common is the Postbox 10p (Letter P) (304,000).
It was the only circulating commemorative A to Z 10p dated 2018.
Of the 304,000 Oak Tree 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 Oak Tree 10p (Letter O)
- Confirm the letter and picture: O for Oak Tree, 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.
Oak Tree mintages are 220,000 for 2018 and 84,000 for 2019. Nature designs tend to be less of a talking point than celebrities or landmarks, so O coins sometimes pass unnoticed in change. That can be good news for anyone hunting the 2019 date. With fewer than half as many 2019 coins made and most of them spotted by collectors early, the later date is clearly the scarcer one. Coins with crisp leaves and clean fields are the ones to put aside.
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
What tree is on the O 10p?
It is an oak tree, chosen as a symbol of Britain. The oak is linked to Charles II's escape in 1651, the timber of the old Royal Navy and famous trees such as the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest.
How many Oak Tree 10p coins are in circulation?
The Royal Mint released 220,000 dated 2018 and 84,000 dated 2019, a total of 304,000. Not all are still in circulation, since many have been kept by collectors, especially the 2019 coins.
Mintage figures: Ten pence (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.