It’s not just UK coins that could turn up in your change…

Coins from Crown dependencies and overseas British territories can sometimes make an unexpected appearance in our change.

They are identical in size, shape and weight to UK denominations which means they often find their way into tills and vending machines undetected.

Finding one in your change can be an annoyance on one hand as technically the coins are not legal tender in the UK. On the other hand, from a collecting point of view, new and interesting designs are always a bonus!

Here’s a look at our top 5 favourite coin designs that have been issued by Crown dependencies and overseas British territories since decimalisation:

Guernsey Freesia Flowers 50p 

This beautiful 50p from Guernsey features two crossed freesia flowers with ‘FIFTY PENCE’ and the date at the top and ’50’ below the design.

The obverse features David Maklouf’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the lettering ‘Bailiwick of Guernsey’ above, and also a small Guernsey Coat of Arms to the left.

This addition on the obverse makes the Guernsey 50p stand out when compared to UK 50p coins.

This 50p has the pre-1997 specifications.

Guernsey Lily £1 Coin

Guernsey Lily £1 issued in 1981.

The Guernsey Lily £1 features the island’s Lily on the reverse, and the Guernsey Coat of Arms on the obverse.

This unusual obverse without the Queen’s head makes this particular coin stand out amongst other £1 coins, and makes it sought after by collectors.

Along with the UK, Guernsey withdrew their round £1 coins from circulation in October 2017.

Isle of Man Tower of Refuge £2 

The Tower of Refuge is an important landmark on the Isle of Man. It was built in 1832 upon the reef on orders of Sir William Hillary, founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

The impressive tower with birds flying above it features on the reverse of this Isle of Man £2 coin. The obverse carries a new effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, this effigy being reserved for the Crown dependencies and Commonwealth countries.

Gibraltar Candytuft Flowers 50p

This 50p features the denomination surrounded by a crown of Gibraltar Candytuft flowers, known as ‘Iberis Gibraltarica’.

Iberis Gibraltarica is the national flower of Gibraltar and is the symbol of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve which covers 40% of the country’s land area. Gibraltar is the only place in Europe where it is found growing in the wild.

With a mintage of just 30,000 in 1988, this 50p is 7 times rarer than the UK’s rarest 50p  so is particularly scarce and sought after amongst collectors. This 50p has the pre-1997 specifications.

Jersey Resolute £1

The Resolute vessel was built in 1877 in Jersey by Thomas Le Huguet and was owned by Captain George Noel. The ship was used for trade before it was wrecked during a hurricane on 29th August 1905 at Friars Cove off Newfoundland.

The design depicts a two-mastered topsail schooner Resolute ship and was first issued into circulation in Jersey in 1994.

To ensure their currency would not be left vulnerable to counterfeiters, Jersey withdrew their round £1 coins from circulation in October 2017.  

So have you come across any of these coin designs in your change or do you already collect coins from other countries? Let us know via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or leave us a comment below.

With a much lower population than the UK, some of these coins that can be found in your change can be extremely rare, so it’s worth keeping hold of them.

You can see the selection of coins from Crown dependencies and overseas British territories we have available here >>