Royal Mint’s 2026 year of the horse silver proof coin.

Available in gold and silver

With 2026 just around the corner, the Royal Mint has released the design for their Lunar New Year release: the Year of the Horse £2 silver proof coin. Struck in one ounce of 999 fine silver and finished to proof standard, the coin comes with all the usual bells and whistles, beautiful presentation packaging, cultural symbolism, and a limited edition run of just 3,288 pieces. Designed by William Webb, the reveerse shows a horse beneath a clock striking midnight, tying into the idea of peak yang energy in traditional Chinese philosophy.

On paper, it’s a coin that ticks all the boxes(unfortunately not mine): limited mintage, proof finish, and a price point of £114. It’s also the only official UK coin celebrating the Lunar Year of the Horse. For collectors who enjoy following the Royal Mint’s Shēngxiào series, it may well be one to grab early before it inevitably sells out.

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But here’s the honest truth: this one isn’t for me.... Neither of my children were born in the Year of the Horse, so the personal connection just isn’t there!! And when I look at the design compared to the Australian Perth Mint’s lunar series, the Royal Mint’s efforts fall a little flat. Perth consistently knocks it out of the park with stunning, detailed artwork that feels alive, whereas the Royal Mint’s lunar designs, while steeped in symbolism, often lack that same visual punch.

Don’t get me wrong, I love many of the Royal Mint’s coins, but at over £100 for a single ounce of silver, I’d much rather put that money toward a Perth Mint lunar release that, in my opinion, looks 1,000 times better and carries just as much collectability. That’s the beauty of stacking and collecting, it’s personal. We each gravitate toward the designs and series that speak to us, and for me, the Year of the Horse coin just isn’t one of them.