The new 12-Sided £1 is already a collecting sensation – and it’s not even out yet!

By Change Checker | February 3, 2017 |

The new 12-sided £1 has grabbed the headlines this week as collector’s really can’t wait to get their hands on one.

In fact, the new coins are proving to be so popular that people are willing to pay way over their face value to get hold of one before the official release date of March 28th.

Currently the only way to get hold of a brand new 12-sided £1 coin is to purchase a 2017 Annual Coin pack (which includes all the coins issued for 2017 struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated finish) or to visit the Royal Mint Experience in Wales and strike your own coin.

Sellers have cottoned on to this and are now selling their coins on auction sites with the ‘justification’ that they are not yet widely available – bids have even been fetching over 5000% their face value. But you really don’t need to pay these prices if you can hold on for a month or so.

The 2016 Trial Pieces

But there’s no doubt that the more interesting pieces are the 2016 trial £1 coins that have also cropped up on online auction sites – one coin even sold for a whopping £200.

However, The Royal Mint has issued over 200,000 trial samples of the new £1 to industry stakeholders in preparation for the new coin. And The Royal Mint has made it clear that these coins don’t have legal tender status and have no redeemable value.

They are most certainly an interesting piece for anyone to have in their collection, but they are not as scarce as some of the recent reports and eBay listings suggest.

To put this into perspective, in 1994, The Royal Mint issued 4,500 packs of trial £2 coins. These packs can now sell for around £150 due to their scarcity.

When can I get a new 12-sided £1 coin?

The new £1 coin is due to enter circulation next month and you can start checking your change then. A Brilliant Uncirculated version of the coin will also be available to buy as an individual collectors piece from the 28th March.

Don’t forget to post a picture to the Change Checker Facebook page when you find one!

Be one of the FIRST people to own the new £1 Coin.

Today you can own all 13 of the United Kingdom’s 2017 coins including the brand new ‘Nations of the Crown’ 12-sided £1 within the latest annual coin pack.

The 2017 United Kingdom Annual Coin Set

Posted in £1 Coins, Blog Home

6 Comments

karen on February 11, 2017 at 12:52 am

Hi , I have inadvertently been given a £20 bag of the new 12 sided one pound coins when I got some change from the bank !! I obviously cannot use them because they are not legal tender yet . Am I allowed to sell them ? How do I know they are the trial ones or the real ones ? Are they worth anything ?

Mr Wayne Coleman on February 7, 2017 at 11:36 pm

Hi There, just a quick message with some questions I would like answering (if possible).
1) You have mentioned that there are 24/5 different £1 coins to collect, however with a different date on the obverse side of the coin, surely there are more to collect (even if
the design on the reverse side re-occurs.

2) With there being a number of counterfeit £1 coins in circulation (number unknown), how can I be certain that the coin I have in my collection is genuine?

3) What is the best way of cleaning £1 coins, without the risk of damaging them?

4) TIP for obtaining more £1 coins – Organise through your workplace a sponsored/ charity event such as a raffle where people pay a £1 to enter. Providing it is popular you will be able
to exchange the money before cashing it in the bank.

Yasmin Britton on February 8, 2017 at 9:36 am

Hi Wayne, we have based the Great One Pound Coin Race on collecting each UK £1 coin design rather than a coin from every year it was issued. As the definitive £1 coins are issued every year, the collection of pounds would end in the hundreds. In regards to your concerns about fake £1 coins, have a look at our blog for tips on spotting one – https://blog.changechecker.org/2013/10/30/could-you-spot-a-fake-1-coin/. We don’t recommend cleaning coins but if you really want to, warm soapy water and a soft tooth brush or cloth would be best. Hope this helps. Also, many thanks for the tip on collecting £1’s. Thanks, Yasmin
- Wayne Coleman (Mr) on February 13, 2017 at 6:56 pm
  
  Thanks Yasmin for your help & support, I am very grateful. Kind Regards.
  
  Wayne

Steve Sprought on February 7, 2017 at 7:23 am

I already own every circulated and uncirculated round one coin from 1983 to date.

Carlos Lambert on February 6, 2017 at 2:16 pm

Hi,
Apologies if I am leaving this message in the wrong place but was wondering if you can advise if I have a fake £1 coin or not. The coin in question is dates 2015 and the edge has TUTAMENT DECUS ET. The TUTAMENT part slanted and not centered on the edge like the rest of the letters. Could it be a mis-strike?

karen on February 11, 2017 at 12:52 am

Hi , I have inadvertently been given a £20 bag of the new 12 sided one pound coins when I got some change from the bank !! I obviously cannot use them because they are not legal tender yet . Am I allowed to sell them ? How do I know they are the trial ones or the real ones ? Are they worth anything ?
Mr Wayne Coleman on February 7, 2017 at 11:36 pm

Hi There, just a quick message with some questions I would like answering (if possible).
1) You have mentioned that there are 24/5 different £1 coins to collect, however with a different date on the obverse side of the coin, surely there are more to collect (even if
the design on the reverse side re-occurs.

2) With there being a number of counterfeit £1 coins in circulation (number unknown), how can I be certain that the coin I have in my collection is genuine?

3) What is the best way of cleaning £1 coins, without the risk of damaging them?

4) TIP for obtaining more £1 coins – Organise through your workplace a sponsored/ charity event such as a raffle where people pay a £1 to enter. Providing it is popular you will be able
to exchange the money before cashing it in the bank.
- Yasmin Britton on February 8, 2017 at 9:36 am
  
  Hi Wayne, we have based the Great One Pound Coin Race on collecting each UK £1 coin design rather than a coin from every year it was issued. As the definitive £1 coins are issued every year, the collection of pounds would end in the hundreds. In regards to your concerns about fake £1 coins, have a look at our blog for tips on spotting one – https://blog.changechecker.org/2013/10/30/could-you-spot-a-fake-1-coin/. We don’t recommend cleaning coins but if you really want to, warm soapy water and a soft tooth brush or cloth would be best. Hope this helps. Also, many thanks for the tip on collecting £1’s. Thanks, Yasmin
  - Wayne Coleman (Mr) on February 13, 2017 at 6:56 pm
    
    Thanks Yasmin for your help & support, I am very grateful. Kind Regards.
    
    Wayne
Steve Sprought on February 7, 2017 at 7:23 am

I already own every circulated and uncirculated round one coin from 1983 to date.
Carlos Lambert on February 6, 2017 at 2:16 pm

Hi,
Apologies if I am leaving this message in the wrong place but was wondering if you can advise if I have a fake £1 coin or not. The coin in question is dates 2015 and the edge has TUTAMENT DECUS ET. The TUTAMENT part slanted and not centered on the edge like the rest of the letters. Could it be a mis-strike?