Royal Mint 2025 UK Annual Sets
2025 Annual Sets from The Royal Mint are a great way to mark the start of 2025 and all the national and personal events coming up this year. These sets make an excellent gift for coin collectors and are an essential addition to any collection of modern British coins.
These limited-edition sets include five official Royal Mint commemorative coins, new for 2025:
- 2025 Queen Mother £5
- 2025 Modern Railways £2
- 2025 Royal Observatory £2
- 2025 Red Arrows 50p
- 2025 WW2 Stories 50p
In addition to these commemorative coins, collectors can enjoy premium editions of definitive currency featuring the nature-inspired designs introduced in 2023.
2025 Annual sets are available to buy from 9am on 2 January 2025.
When you order your 2025 Annual Set with The Britannia Coin Company, you can enjoy free, insured shipping to UK addresses. International delivery is available for just £15.
2025 Birth Of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother £5 Coin
Born in 1900, Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, married the Duke of York in 1953. Following the abdication of his older brother, Elizabeth's husband was crowned King George VI in 1936. After his passing in 1952, her eldest daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, would ascend the throne. 125 years after her birth and more than two decades since her passing, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother is still a beloved figure in Britain.
This new Crown-sized coin features a nod to previous Royal Mint coins that celebrate the life of the Queen Mother. Alongside roses and thistles - honouring Queen Elizabeth's heritage - and a central garter star, the reverse of this 2025 coin also incorporates the tiny portrait of Her Majesty by Richard Guyatt that can be seen on 1980 Crown coins, celebrating her 80th birthday. The legend around this design reads 'QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER'.
2025 200 Years Of The Modern Railway £2 Coin
Fans of railway history will enjoy the new £2 coin included in 2025 Annual Sets.
Celebrating 200 Years of the Modern Railway, this 2025 coin marks 200 years since the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which was designed to carry freight from nearby colliers. On the day the new line opened - 27 September 1825 - Locomotion No. 1, engineered by George and Robert Stephenson, pulled a purpose-built passenger carriage and hundreds of members of the public in empty wagons, becoming the first steam locomotive to haul a passenger-carrying train on a public railway.
Created by illustrator and graphic designer William Webb, the new Two Pound coin shows passengers travelling in open carriages behind the innovative steam locomotive with the words ‘THE JOURNEY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD' around and the dates ‘1825-2025' below. The edge reads ‘ACTIVE · LOCOMOTION NO 1'.
2025 Royal Observatory Greenwich £2 Coin
2025 marks 350 years since the Royal Observatory was commissioned by King Charles II in 1675. Located on a hill in Greenwich Park in southeast London, the Royal Observatory played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation. Greenwich Mean Time takes its name from the Royal Observatory since the prime meridian passes through the site.
To honour the anniversary of the Royal Observatory, the Royal Mint will issue a £2 coin featuring the 24-hour Shepherd Gate Clock, located on the Observatory's wall, and the meridian line, displayed on a globe. The legend reads ‘THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH' with the words ‘PERFECTING THE ART OF NAVIGATION' around the edge, a line from the Royal Warrant that appointed the first Astronomer Royal.
Today, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, is an outpost of the National Maritime Museum. The Royal Mint will contribute 6% of the purchase price of BU and silver coins from this collection and 3% of the price of gold coins to the National Maritime Museum, expecting to raise around £70,000.
2025 Red Arrows 50p Coin
2025 marks sixty years since the Red Arrows' first display, and The Royal Mint are including a brand new 50p in their Annual Sets to mark the occasion. This is the first time that the Red Arrows have appeared on an official UK coin.
The Red Arrows' official name is the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team. Founded in 1964, the Red Arrows showcase the skills and values of the RAF as well as flying the flag for the United Kingdom at international airshows and important national events. The nine-member aerobatics team perform daring manoeuvres during displays, including their trademark diamond nine formation.
The 2025 commemorative Red Arrows Fifty Pence, designed by Nigel Tudman at Tuch Design, features three of the team's iconic BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft being flown in formation. The words ‘RED ARROWS' appear below.
The silver proof and silver proof piedfort Red Arrows 50ps are exclusive to 2025 Annual Sets and will not be sold separately.
2025 Stories Of The Second World War 50p Coin
Three military medals, awarded to Brits for their service during the Second World War, appear on this new UK 50p. Together, the 1939-45 Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45 represent millions of unique stories and sacrifices.
The Royal Mint is issuing this Fifty Pence eight years on from the end of World War Two. The War in Europe came to an end with the surrender of Nazi Germany on 8 May 1945 (VE Day), though the war in Asia dragged on until the surrender of Japan on 2 September of the same year (VJ Day). This brought an end to a bloody global conflict which continues to shape modern British society.
This coin has been produced with help from the Imperial War Museums (IWM), like several other Royal Mint collectables, issued to celebrate previous anniversaries of the First and Second World Wars.
Martin Jennings Portrait Of King Charles III
All five commemorative coins included in 2025 Annual Sets, as well as all the definitive coins, feature Martin Jennings' portrait of King Charles III.
Jennings is a British sculptor known for his works in bronze and stone, including of UK literary figures like John Betjeman, Charles Dickens and Phillip Larkin. His official coinage portrait of King Charles was unveiled in September 2022, not long after the passing of Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II. This design was first seen on coins later the same year with a crowned version utilised on commemorative coins issued to mark His Majesty's coronation in 2023. A version of Jennings' royal portrait has also been used for Royal Mail stamps.
The obverses of each coin found in 2025 Annual Sets feature an inscription that begins ‘CHARLES III · D · G · REX · F · D ·' followed by the denomination and the date.
Definitive Versus Commemorative Coins
Some 2025 Annual Sets feature only commemorative coins, while others feature just definitive coins or a mix of both. But what are commemorative and definitive coins?
Definitive Coins feature the standard designs used over many years on circulating coinage. We also use this term to refer to BU, proof and precious metal coins which use standard currency designs.
New Defintive designs for all circulating UK coins were introduced by The Royal Mint in 2023, inspired by King Charles' passion for nature and conservation.
Commemorative Coins may also be released into circulation but are generally produced in limited numbers for one year only. Their designs often celebrate important national events or anniversaries. Collectable editions are generally available for purchase both as part of Annual Sets and in individual packaging.
What 2025 UK Annual Sets Are Available?
2025 Annual Sets are available in a range of finishes, including brilliant uncirculated, proof and premium precious metal editions. Collectors can choose an option which suits their interests and their budget, including the following:
- 2025 Defintive BU Annual Set
- 2025 BU Annual Set
- 2025 Premium Proof Annual Set
- 2025 Proof Annual Set
- 2025 Platinum Proof Annual Set
- 2025 Gold Proof Annual Set
- 2025 Piedfort Silver Proof Annual Set
- 2025 Silver Proof Annual Set
Gold, platinum, and silver sets are authorised for issue in extremely limited quantities, which may make them difficult for future collectors to acquire, thus increasing their value on the secondary market. Collectors should take care to preserve the packaging and paperwork supplied with their coins in case they plan to resell.
The Britannia Coin Company offers all 2025 Annual Sets in their original presentation packaging with a numbered certificate of authenticity enclosed.