September 2026 Numismatic News Roundup

September has been a particularly busy month for British numismatics, with new Royal Mint releases, several important specialist collections coming to auction and plenty of activity across the traditional coin and token market.

This month’s September 2026 numismatic news roundup looks at the stories that caught our attention at Rumnicoin, from Star Trek and Wicked appearing on official UK 50p coins to an exceptional collection of English shillings and a rare James II Five Guineas. We also take a brief look overseas at the 2026 Coin of the Year and two interesting modern world releases.

Star Trek makes its UK coin debut

The Royal Mint opened September with another major popular-culture release, unveiling two collectable 50p coins celebrating the 60th anniversary of Star Trek on 3 September [1]. The Royal Mint

It is the first time Star Trek has appeared on an official UK 50p. The first coin features the famous Vulcan salute alongside “Live Long & Prosper” and “Star Trek 60”, while a second coin due in November will depict four spacecraft from different generations of the franchise. Selected versions also use colour to create a blue and purple nebula effect. [1]

The Mint says its earlier science-fiction releases, introduced in 2023, have placed close to 800,000 coins into collections across 60 countries. That helps explain why licensed themes continue to occupy such a prominent place in the modern commemorative programme. [1]

From our perspective, these releases are increasingly becoming a distinct part of modern numismatics. A Star Trek fan may buy the coin with little previous interest in coin collecting, while an established 50p collector may acquire it because it fills another place in a modern collection. That crossover between memorabilia and numismatics is clearly something The Royal Mint sees considerable value in.

Wicked celebrates 20 years in London on a 50p

Just two weeks later, The Royal Mint returned to British popular culture with an official Wicked 50p, launched on 17 September to celebrate 20 years since the musical opened at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre. [2]

The release was produced in partnership with the West End production and celebrates the story of Elphaba and Glinda. The range includes standard collectable issues as well as precious-metal versions, with the gold edition produced using recycled gold. [2]

There is an interesting contrast between September’s two major Royal Mint launches. Star Trek draws on a global television and film audience, while Wicked connects an official UK coin directly with the history of London’s West End.

Not every traditional collector will be drawn to entertainment-themed commemoratives, but there is little doubt that these coins reach audiences well beyond the established numismatic market. Whether that translates into sustained secondary-market demand is a different question, and as always we would encourage collectors to buy pieces because they genuinely want them rather than on assumptions about future value.

An exceptional collection of English shillings comes to auction

For collectors of historic British coins, one of September’s most interesting sales was much more traditional.

On 17 September, Noonans offered The Gary Oddie Collection of English Regal Shillings, an important collection formed over 46 years [3]. The 429-lot sale demonstrated just how deep a collection can become when built around a single denomination. Noonans Mayfair

Among the highlights was a 1651 Commonwealth pattern shilling by David Ramage, which realised a hammer price of £55,000. A rare 1798 George III shilling and a 1658 Oliver Cromwell shilling struck in 1738 each realised £24,000. [3]

This is the sort of collection we particularly enjoy seeing come to market. Rather than simply assembling expensive coins, a focused collection built over several decades can document the development of a denomination through different monarchs, mints, portraits, varieties and periods of British history.

It is also a useful reminder that specialisation can be one of the most rewarding ways to collect. A collection does not need to cover every British monarch or every denomination. Choosing one area and learning it deeply can result in something far more coherent.

English silver and historic collections dominate a busy auction month

September was unusually strong for specialist British material at Noonans.

A day before the Oddie sale, the auction house offered 328 lots of English silver coins dating from 1272 to 1662, the second part of a dedicated collection spanning medieval England through to the Civil War period. [4]

The month then finished with several more focused collections on 29 September. The Nosuch Collection of British and European Coins was particularly notable, having been assembled over roughly 40 years and with strengths including the gold coinages of pre-Roman Britain, coins associated with the Treaty of Brétigny, pieces from the Reigate Hoard, early Stuart portraiture and George III gold. [5]

Noonans also offered the Chelsea Collection of World Gold Coins and the Eric Hodge Collection of British Merchant Coins on the same day.

For us, the interesting point is the continued appetite for properly formed collections. Provenance and the story of how a collection was assembled can add another dimension to the individual coins, particularly where the collector had a clear speciality or spent decades refining the group.

A rare James II Five Guineas leads another strong British sale

Elsewhere in the UK market, Sovereign Rarities held Auction XXIII in partnership with The Royal Mint on 22 September, offering 475 lots ranging from ancient coins through to modern British issues and commemorative medals. [6]

One of the standout pieces was a 1687 James II Five Guineas carrying the elephant-and-castle mark beneath the King’s portrait. The mark links the gold used for the coin with the activities of the Royal African Company, giving the piece a much broader historical context than its impressive size and gold content alone might suggest. [6]

The sale also included the Kilmarnock Collection of coins of Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI, together with Part III of the Highcliff Collection of British and European Medals. [6]

Five-guinea pieces are among the most imposing coins in the British series, and examples from the short reign of James II combine rarity with an especially turbulent period of British history. Coins like this demonstrate why provenance, mint marks and small design details can be just as interesting as the headline denomination.

Tokens take centre stage at the end of September

September closes today with another area of collecting that we have a particular interest in at Rumnicoin: tokens.

Noonans’ British Trade Tokens, Tickets and Passes auction on 30 September contains 463 lots and includes material from specialist collections such as the late David Rogers Collection of Lead Tokens and tokens from the Royal Berkshire Collection. [7]

The catalogue stretches from medieval lead tokens through later trade and pub tokens, tickets and passes. It is exactly the sort of material that shows how much numismatics exists beyond official national coinage.

Tokens can preserve incredibly local history. A piece issued by a particular pub, merchant, transport company or employer can sometimes tell a more personal story than a nationally issued coin. Many also remain comparatively accessible, allowing collectors to build historically interesting collections without entering the price levels associated with high-grade gold or major hammered rarities.

With the 44th Annual Token Congress taking place in Northampton from 2–4 October, it is particularly good timing for anyone interested in this side of the hobby. Rumnicoin will be attending this year, so we are looking forward to seeing plenty more token material in person over the coming days.

World Numismatics

China wins its first overall Coin of the Year

One of the most interesting international stories reported during September was confirmation of the 2026 Coin of the Year results.

China took the overall award for the first time with its silver 10 yuan Chinese Dragon, struck by the Shenzhen Guobao Mint for the People’s Bank of China [8]. The coin had already won the Best Crown Coin category before taking the overall title from a field initially comprising roughly 600 coins dated 2025.

The design pairs two unmistakably Chinese motifs. One side depicts the Great Wall moving through a mountainous landscape, while the other features a dragon inspired by historic Chinese imagery.

What makes the result particularly interesting is that the winner is fundamentally a bullion coin rather than a conventional limited-edition collector issue. Modern bullion design has become increasingly sophisticated, and the result suggests the distinction between investment bullion and collectable numismatics is becoming less clear-cut.

France and Austria each collected three category awards, while coins from the United States, Hungary and Ukraine were also recognised. [8]

The Saint-Gaudens High Relief returns for America’s 250th anniversary

The United States Mint brought its 2026 Best of the Mint programme to a close on 24 September with perhaps the most famous American design of the series: Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ 1907 High Relief Double Eagle. [9]

The modern version is struck in one ounce of 99.99% fine gold and retains Saint-Gaudens’ celebrated Liberty and flying eagle designs. It also carries the Liberty Bell “250” privy mark used for America’s Semiquincentennial programme and is paired with a one-ounce silver medal. [9]

The original 1907 High Relief is regarded as one of the great designs of American coinage, so revisiting it for the country’s 250th anniversary makes considerable sense.

For collectors, it is also another example of a modern mint using its own numismatic history rather than relying solely on entirely new themes. Done well, that can introduce newer collectors to the originals that inspired the modern issue.

Australia celebrates 70 years of television

Australia offered something rather different this month.

The Royal Australian Mint released a coloured 50-cent coin celebrating 70 years of Australian television, marking the anniversary of the country’s first television broadcast on 16 September 1956. [10]

Its design incorporates imagery inspired by television test-pattern colour bars alongside small references to memorable moments from Australian broadcasting history. The uncirculated version has a mintage of 50,000, while the silver proof is limited to 7,000. [10]

It is an inventive piece of modern design and another example of national mints using nostalgia to reach collectors who may have a personal connection with the subject rather than an existing interest in coins.

Rumnicoin view: a month that showed both sides of collecting

September illustrates just how wide the modern numismatic market has become.

At one end we have new Star Trek and Wicked 50ps aimed at enormous audiences outside traditional collecting. At the other, collections formed over several decades are bringing specialist English shillings, medieval silver, historic gold and obscure local tokens back to market.

We do not see those two sides as incompatible. Modern commemoratives can provide an entry point into the hobby, while established collectors can spend a lifetime specialising in a single denomination, monarch, mint or token series.

The Gary Oddie Collection is perhaps our favourite story this month for exactly that reason. A collection built with focus and knowledge over 46 years is a reminder that numismatics is at its best when it is about more than simply acquiring the next coin.

With the Token Congress beginning in Northampton this Friday, October starts immediately for us with another opportunity to buy, sell, learn and meet other collectors.

As always, we will keep an eye on what comes next.

Happy collecting,

The Rumnicoin Team

References

[1] The Royal Mint. The Royal Mint Boldly Goes Where No Coin Has Gone Before With New Star Trek 50p Coins. 3 September 2026.
https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/the-royal-mint-boldly-goes-where-no-coin-has-gone-before-with-new-star-trek-50p-coins/

[2] The Royal Mint. Defying Gravity: The Royal Mint Celebrates 20 Years of Wicked With Official 50p Commemorative Coin. 17 September 2026.
https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/defying-gravity-the-royal-mint-celebrates-20-years-of-wicked-with-official-50p-commemorative-coin/

[3] Noonans Mayfair. The Gary Oddie Collection of English Regal Shillings. 17 September 2026.
https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/calendar/905/

[4] Noonans Mayfair. A Collection of English Silver Coins, 1272–1662 (Part II). 16 September 2026.
https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/calendar/932/

[5] Noonans Mayfair. The Nosuch Collection of British and European Coins. 29 September 2026.
https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/calendar/947/

[6] CoinWeek. Rare 1687 James II Five Guineas Part of Sovereign Rarities Auction XXIII. 14 September 2026.
https://coinweek.com/rare-1687-james-ii-five-guineas-part-of-sovereign-rarities-auction-xxiii/

[7] Noonans Mayfair. British Trade Tokens, Tickets and Passes. 30 September 2026.
https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/calendar/875/

[8] World Numismatic News. 2026 Coin of the Year: China’s Chinese Dragon Takes the Top Prize. 9 September 2026.
https://www.worldnumismaticnews.com/2026/09/09/2026-coin-of-the-year-award-winners/

[9] World Numismatic News. 2026 Saint-Gaudens High Relief Gold Coin: Best of the Mint Ends With Its Biggest Name. 24 September 2026.
https://www.worldnumismaticnews.com/2026/09/24/2026-saint-gaudens-high-relief-gold-coin-set/

[10] World Numismatic News. 2026 Australian Television 50c Coin Marks 70 Years of TV. 28 September 2026.
https://www.worldnumismaticnews.com/2026/09/28/2026-australian-television-50c-coin-70th-anniversary/