Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y)
The Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) is a circulating A to Z 10p with 283,000 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
- 283,000
- 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 Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) worth?
The A to Z 10p coins were made in small runs for circulation (220,000 dated 2018 and 63,000 dated 2019 for this letter). They were made to be collected. A circulated Yeoman Warder 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 Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) rare?
- It is scarcer than most A to Z 10p coins. Collectors pay a small premium for good examples.
- How many Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) coins were made?
- 283,000 were struck for circulation.
- What is the Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) made of?
- Nickel-plated steel. It weighs 6.5 g and measures 24.5 mm.
- Is the Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) still legal tender?
- Yes. Every A to Z 10p is legal tender in the UK at face value.
Why the Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) was made
Yeoman Warders have guarded the Tower of London for centuries and are known around the world as Beefeaters. To join, a candidate must have served at least 22 years in the armed forces, risen to a senior rank and hold a medal for long service and good conduct. They live with their families inside the Tower walls and lead guided tours, sharing stories of the Tower's long history as a royal palace, prison and home of the Crown Jewels.
Their everyday uniform is dark blue with red trim, while on state occasions they wear the famous red and gold Tudor style dress. Every night they take part in the Ceremony of the Keys, the formal locking of the Tower, which has been carried out for hundreds of years. One of the Yeoman Warders serves as Ravenmaster, caring for the ravens that legend says must stay at the Tower to protect the kingdom. In 2007 Moira Cameron became the first woman to join their ranks. The Royal Mint chose the Yeoman Warder for Y in its 2018 A to Z 10p series, the only uniformed figure in the alphabet.
How to recognize it
The Y coin shows a Yeoman Warder in traditional uniform alongside the letter Y. It shares the standard 10p specification: nickel-plated steel, 24.5 mm diameter, 6.5 g, with a milled edge. The obverse shows Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the date. Yeoman Warder coins were issued in both 2018 and 2019 with the same reverse. The 2019 coin is one of the scarcest in the whole series, so always check the date. Details in the uniform, such as the hat and the trim, are the first features to wear smooth. A magnifier makes them much easier to judge.
The other side carries Jody Clark's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, introduced in 2015 and the last of her reign.
Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y) ranks 2nd lowest of 26 circulating A to Z 10p coins with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the World Wide Web 10p (Letter W) (283,000); the next more common is the Zebra Crossing 10p (Letter Z) (283,000).
It was the only circulating commemorative A to Z 10p dated 2018.
Of the 283,000 Yeoman Warder 10p coins, 220,000 are dated 2018 and 63,000 are dated 2019. About 3.5 coins were dated 2018 for every one dated 2019, which makes 2019 the date to look for. This letter is also one of the five whose 2019 run was cut below 84,000.
What to check on your Yeoman Warder 10p (Letter Y)
- Confirm the letter and picture: Y for Yeoman Warder, 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.
The Yeoman Warder 10p was made in quantities of 220,000 for 2018 and only 63,000 for 2019, tied with W and Z for the lowest 2019 mintage in the series. That makes a 2019 Y one of the hardest coins to find in change. Collectors watch for it closely, so finding one is a real treat. A crisp 2019 example can attract a collector premium. Worn 2018 coins still have a place in any set and they are a good reminder of how much more common the launch year is.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 10 pence |
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
| Year | 2018 |
| Circulation mintage | 283,000 |
| 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
Is the 2019 Yeoman Warder 10p rare?
It is one of the scarcest coins in the series, with only 63,000 made dated 2019. Only W and Z share that low mintage, while most letters had 84,000 that year. The 2018 version, with 220,000 struck, is far easier.
What is a Yeoman Warder?
Yeoman Warders, often called Beefeaters, are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. They must have served at least 22 years in the armed forces and they live inside the Tower with their families.
Mintage figures: Ten pence (British coin) (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Mint figures. How we build these pages.