New Release: 2026 Royal Mint Annual Sets
New Release: 2026 Royal Mint Annual Sets
The current market value for the Merlin £5 Coin is estimated at £10.00. Values can vary based on condition and demand.
High-quality images of the 2023 Merlin £5 Coin showing obverse, packaging, and design details. Click any image to view full size.
Tip: Click any image to view it in full size. All images show the actual 2023 Merlin £5 Coin as issued by The Royal Mint, helping you identify genuine coins and understand their design features.
Myths and Legends Collection (2023)
The Myths and Legends: Merlin coin is a 2023-dated release from The Royal Mint that brings the legendary wizard of Arthurian lore onto official UK coinage. Merlin appears with an owl (wisdom) and a magical staff, with Avalon in the background, while the obverse carries the official coinage portrait of King Charles III.
Merlin forms part of the Arthurian run in The Royal Mint’s Myths and Legends collection. In 2023, the key character line-up you’ll see grouped together is: King Arthur, Merlin, and Morgan Le Fay.
The reverse artwork presents Merlin as the archetypal “mysterious adviser” of Arthurian legend: an owl perched on his shoulder (a neat shorthand for knowledge and wisdom), a staff in hand, and the mythical island of Avalon behind him. On the obverse, Martin Jennings’ portrait of His Majesty King Charles III confirms the coin’s official legal-tender status.
The table below lists the Merlin variants in this release range with the issue price and the stated limited edition/mintage details you provided, plus the Royal Mint’s published maximum coin mintage (where available).
| Finish | Coin Variation | Issue Price | Limited Edition / Mintage (provided) | Royal Mint “Maximum Coin Mintage” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brilliant Uncirculated | Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin | £17.50 | — | — |
| Silver Proof | Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK 1oz Silver Proof Coin | £110.00 | Limited Edition 2,500 | 2,510 |
| Silver Proof | Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK 2oz Silver Proof Coin | £213.00 | Limited Edition 500 | 510 |
| Gold Proof | Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK 1/4oz Gold Proof Coin | £825.00 | Limited Edition 600 | 610 |
| Gold Proof | Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK 1oz Gold Proof Coin | £3,110.00 | Limited Edition 200 | 210 |
If you like grounding “mintage talk” in something measurable, The Royal Mint also publishes coin sales for many commemoratives. For Merlin (2023), the figures below are the Royal Mint’s reported sales counts for each listed variant (including trade packaging where stated).
| Variant | Royal Mint Reported 2023 Sales |
|---|---|
| £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin | 8,602 |
| £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin (Trade Packaging) | 5,500 |
| 1oz Silver Proof | 1,463 |
| 2oz Silver Proof | 369 |
| 1/4oz Gold Proof | 78 |
| 1oz Gold Proof | 96 |
For most collectors, the £5 Brilliant Uncirculated coin is the accessible “album copy” for the series, while the proof precious-metal issues are where scarcity and presentation come into play. The “maximum coin mintage” figures published by The Royal Mint are often slightly higher than the “limited edition” number because they can account for the total possible struck, not just the headline presentation limit.
