• New data reveals where the UK’s keenest puzzle solvers are based and the South East are crowned Britain’s ‘brainiest region’ with the most participants
• More than 25,500 collectors nationwide have already joined the hunt

Llantrisant, Wales - 12 March 2026: The Royal Mint has revealed the UK’s ‘brainiest regions’, as new data shows where thousands of puzzle lovers and collectors have joined The Great British Treasure Hunt.

With just days remaining before the prize entry deadline for The Great British Treasure Hunt, The Royal Mint has revealed the UK’s ‘brainiest regions’, as puzzle enthusiasts across the country race to take part in the nationwide code-breaking challenge. Since launching earlier this year, the interactive hunt has attracted more than 20,000 people who have already started the challenge, as they attempt to crack the clues and progress further in the competition.

Participation from across the country has revealed clear hotspots where puzzle-solving enthusiasm is particularly strong, with certain regions emerging as hubs for keen codebreakers and collectors.

The South East has emerged as the country’s puzzle-solving powerhouse, topping the leaderboard with 1,885 participants, followed by the South West (1,178) and East of England (1,149), with strong participation also seen in the North West (1,033) and London (983), highlighting the widespread national appetite for puzzles, cryptography and collectible coins.

With the competition approaching its final stages, hopeful players now have until 14 March to purchase the coin to be in with a chance of winning the grand prize- a solid gold bar.  The competition ends on 30th March after which participants can still play but won’t be in with the chance of winning the gold bar prize.

Local treasure hunt hotspots

The data also reveals several local hotspots where puzzle enthusiasts are particularly embracing the challenge.
At county and city level, Hampshire leads the way with around 1.75% of participants, followed by Leicester (1.24%) and Leeds (1.11%). Staffordshire (1.10%) and Norfolk (1.06%) also rank highly among the nation’s puzzle-loving communities.

Looking even closer, Colchester currently tops the town leaderboard with approximately 0.44% of players, followed by Gloucester (0.38%) and Worcester (0.33%), while Norwich and Cheltenham both record about 0.31% of participants.

Final days to join the nationwide challenge

Launched earlier this year, The Great British Treasure Hunt is a multi-stage puzzle challenge that invites participants to test their logic and problem-solving skills through a series of puzzles  released over several weeks. The £5 ‘The Penny Drops’ coin sits at the centre of The Great British Treasure Hunt, acting as a physical key used to decipher clues released throughout February and March.

Its intricate design features numbers, letters and symbols which players can use to decode layers of puzzles as they progress through the multi-stage challenge.

At the end of the hunt, players will unlock the final solution, with one successful player  wining a solid gold bar.

Nicola Mitchell, Chief Commercial Officer at The Royal Mint, said “The Great British Treasure Hunt has captured the imagination of puzzle lovers across the country. It’s fascinating to see where the UK’s most enthusiastic problem-solvers are based, with the South East currently leading the way. With the final entry deadline fast approaching, there’s still time for new players to join the challenge, put their puzzle-solving skills to the test and be in with a chance of winning the ultimate prize.”

Collectors and puzzle enthusiasts have until 14 March to purchase the coin and be eligible to win the grand prize.  The competition ends on March 30th.  Participants can still play after this date but won't be entered into the prize to win the gold bar.

For more information about the coin and The Great British Treasure Hunt, visit The Royal Mint’s website.