LONDON – The Royal Mint in Great Britain has launched a nationwide logic challenge that will test the skills of amateur detectives and experienced code crackers. Called the Great British Treasure Hunt, the competition features a series of increasingly difficult puzzles, with the winner claiming a gold brick. The contestants find the first clues directly on the coins they have in their wallets.
The Great British Treasure Hunt pits amateur detectives from across the country in front of a series of progressively more complicated puzzles. Anyone who manages to solve all five levels of codes will get a chance to win a gold brick worth more than £28,000 (€32,329). As he informs Daily Mailthe treasure hunt centers around a richly decorated five pound coin with the name The Penny Dropswhich those interested in deciphering will have to “study, hold and align correctly”to solve later puzzles.
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Just a few questions
However, contestants can try to solve the first four questions right now, and all they need is a few coins from their wallet. The first puzzle task, with the mysterious name “Unifying the Shield”, asks you to find a hidden six-letter password that will allow you to advance to the next level and reads like this: “On the coins, you see a shield depicted, divided into six parts, but not alone. Search in your little things, that’s where the game begins, from the fragments find a whole that has meaning. Place them where the arrows lead you, the shapes will connect, the shield will be revealed again. From them, the letters will clearly show, they will precisely indicate the way forward.”
After solving this difficult test, three more puzzles follow: The Seven Siblings, The Constellations, and Newton’s Heptagon. There are hints available throughout the game, and if you get really stuck, you can find the answers in the info box. In the event that you successfully break the first level, mastering the next four will require the purchase of a special puzzler coin. It contains not only a code that allows you to enter the challenge, but also clues necessary to solve other codes.
Grand prize draw
The coin itself is covered with letters, symbols, a compass and a diagram that resembles the alignment of the planets. At the same time, the Royal Mint states that the coin cover will also be full of hidden layers of secrets, riddles and puzzles that will have to be solved. If you manage to solve all five puzzles by March 30, 2026, you will be entered into a drawing for the grand prize. Although there will only be one overall winner and it will be drawn from among those who complete the challenge, there will also be five separate, side-quests available throughout the game.
These smaller challenges will be completed regardless of participation in the main competition and will offer a chance to win additional prizes. The design of the coin is inspired by the discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton. In addition to being one of the most important British scientists, this scholar was also the administrator of the Royal Mint and led a fierce fight against currency counterfeiting. The new five pound coin has already been presented to the public in London’s Science Museum.
It was there that mathematician Bobby Seagull received the first ever minted piece and was named Player Number One. “As a math lover, I’m excited to be ‘Player One’ for this coin, which is a true cryptographic masterpiece. Inspired by Newton’s genius, its design is a physical key that transforms symbols and numbers into a brilliant puzzle. This is not just a coin, it’s an invitation to a nationwide intellectual adventure.” said Seagull.
