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This question is somewhat related to: Paying debts in cash in a petty way

The Royal Mint issues commemorative coins. For example, they issued £20 coins (made out of silver) but usually shops and banks don't accept them. They are legal tender, however.

If I was sued and had to pay a debt to someone in court, could I use my commemorative coins to pay off part of the debt?

The Royal Mint website says this:

Legal tender has a very narrow and technical meaning in the settlement of debts. It means that a debtor cannot successfully be sued for non-payment if he pays into court in legal tender. It does not mean that any ordinary transaction has to take place in legal tender or only within the amount denominated by the legislation. Both parties are free to agree to accept any form of payment whether legal tender or otherwise according to their wishes. In order to comply with the very strict rules governing an actual legal tender it is necessary, for example, actually to offer the exact amount due because no change can be demanded.

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  • Council tax can be paid via cash via a Post Office service called Payzone: gov.uk/council-tax/paying-your-bill : You can also use ‘Paypoint’, ‘Payzone’ or ‘Quickcards’ for cash payments at post offices, banks, newsagents and convenience stores. -- could I use commemorative coins here or does the Post Office have a right to refuse them, like a shop can in payment?
    – PraiseTheBaud
    Jul 26, 2022 at 12:10
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    Insist on paying in rubles.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Jul 26, 2022 at 23:02

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If I was sued and had to pay a debt to someone in court, could I use my commemorative coins to pay off part of the debt?

Yes, in to a court.

As per your quoted section from the Royal Mint's Legal Tender Guidelines:

... a debtor cannot successfully be sued for non-payment if he pays into court in legal tender.

And further down it says:

We receive a lot of enquiries about our popular silver commemorative coins (including £5 crowns, £20, £50 and £100 coins) and their legal tender status. Each issue is authorised by Royal Proclamation in accordance with the requirements laid down by the Coinage Act 1971. This means that in common with coins in general circulation these coins have legal tender status. [my emphasis]

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    Do note that their Legal Tender status is for their minted value, not their collector's value, which at times is much higher if they are rare or old specimens.
    – Trish
    Jul 26, 2022 at 13:32
  • See my answer to the other linked question.
    – Francis Davey
    Jul 27, 2022 at 4:49
  • @Trish It seems entirely possible that lowballing the payment is part of the point - if the ex-wife is planning on taking half of what you have, disposing of thousands of dollars of coins to pay a hundred-dollar speeding ticket may well be worth it to you if it means that they get less.
    – nick012000
    Jul 27, 2022 at 8:19
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    @nick012000 I suspect that wouldn't work. The divorce court would probably see through the ploy, and treat your assets as if you still had the thousands of dollars (less the speeding ticket(s)).
    – Martin Bonner supports Monica
    Jul 27, 2022 at 12:08

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