The Royal Mint has announced a nationwide code-breaking competition, The Great British Treasure Hunt, with a solid gold bar worth approximately £28,000 as the grand prize. Inspired by Sir Isaac Newton, a former Master of the Mint, the challenge involves a special £5 coin featuring numbers, letters, and symbols that unlock layers of secrets, riddles, and puzzles.
The competition consists of five levels. Level one is free to access via a dedicated microsite on the Royal Mint's website. To progress to levels two through five, participants must purchase either a 'penny drops' brilliant uncirculated coin (£22.50) or a silver proof version (£149.50), as the coin and its packaging are required to solve the puzzles. Level one does not form part of the competition.
The hunt opens on February 3 and closes on March 30, with entries restricted to UK residents aged 18 or over. One entry per customer account is allowed. Tips and hints will be released in waves starting January 29. At the end, one winner will be randomly selected on or shortly after March 31 and notified by email.
Broadcaster and mathematician Bobby Seagull, named 'player one', praised the coin as a 'cryptographic masterpiece'. Nicola Mitchell, chief commercial officer at the Royal Mint, said the coin is an 'interactive device' for those who love mystery and challenge. The coin will not enter general circulation.
