X 10p: X Marks the Spot
The X 10p shows a treasure map with a large X marking the spot and a ship at sea off the coast. It is the X in The Royal Mint's A to Z of Britain, struck for circulation with 2018 and 2019 dates. It is one of the 26 A to Z 10p coins and one of the 31 10p designs struck since 1968.
X 10p value
- Circulated
- typical £3.10, range £2.50 to £3.80
- Uncirculated
- typical £4, range £3.40 to £4.10
Worked out from 14 published prices (6 price guides, 4 dealer prices and 4 sold-price reports), each condition from its own prices, checked in September 2026.
Rarity rank 6 of 30 ranked 10p designs, rarest first (joint)
Rarity: Very rareThe X was struck in the standard A to Z quantity, so its price depends on condition and demand more than on scarcity, and X is one of the letters collectors most want. Circulated coins sell above face value, and a clean coin with a sharp ship and map fetches more than a worn one. Between the two dates, 2019 was made in smaller numbers and tends to be priced above 2018. Uncirculated coins from Royal Mint pouches and cards are the dearest versions.
X 10p mintage and rarity
With 304,000 struck for circulation, the X 10p (X Marks the Spot) is the joint sixth rarest of the 30 ranked 10p designs and has the joint eighth lowest mintage of all 194 circulating UK designs. That puts it in the Very rare band, for mintages under 500,000.
The next rarer 10p is the Q 10p (Queuing), with 303,000 struck, and the next more common is the Capercaillie 10p, with 7,100,000 struck.
Its lowest circulation mintage was in 2019, with 84,000 struck.
| Year | Circulation mintage | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 220,000 | Uncirculated version on sale from 1 March 2018. |
| 2019 | 84,000 | Same reverse with the 2019 date on the obverse; uncirculated version on sale from 26 February 2019. |
How to spot an X 10p
Look for a treasure map with mountains, a dotted trail and palm trees, a large script X on the left and a sailing ship on the sea down the right. The curly X is the only lettering on this side. On the heads side, the year, 2018 or 2019, follows TEN PENCE around the Queen's fifth portrait. Both dates share the same reverse, and no varieties of the X are recorded.
X 10p design
For X, the Quintessentially British A to Z uses a saying rather than a place or an object: X marks the spot, the mark on a treasure map that shows where the prize is buried. The design fills most of the coin with a map: mountains along the top, a dotted trail across the land, two palm trees on a small island near the bottom and a large script X on the left. Down the right-hand side a coastline gives way to the sea, where a sailing ship rides the waves. The series was run as the Great British Coin Hunt, with people searching their change for every letter. The reverse is credited to The Royal Mint Team. The date appears on the obverse, in the legend with TEN PENCE around Jody Clark's portrait of the Queen, and the coin was issued in 2018 and 2019.
It was one of the 26 coins in the A to Z set issued in 2018.
X 10p specifications
- Denomination
- 10p
- Years
- 2018 and 2019
- Type
- Commemorative
- Issue
- Issued for circulation
- Series
- A to Z
- Occasion
- The Royal Mint's Great British Coin Hunt, a Quintessentially British A to Z: treasure hunting
- Designer
- The Royal Mint Team
- Composition
- Nickel-plated steel
- Weight
- 6.5 g
- Diameter
- 24.5 mm
- Shape
- Round
- Edge
- Milled
- Obverse
- Elizabeth II, fifth portrait by Jody Clark
X 10p questions
What does the X 10p show?
A treasure map with mountains, palm trees and a large X marking the spot, and a sailing ship at sea. It illustrates the saying X marks the spot.
Is the X Marks the Spot 10p rare?
By 10p standards, yes: every A to Z letter was struck in far smaller numbers than the everyday 10p designs. The X had the standard run for the series, and a 2019 X is harder to find than a 2018.
Who designed the X 10p?
The Royal Mint credits the map and ship scene to The Royal Mint Team.