£1 Coins
5 things you can still do with your Round Pounds
The deadline day to trade in your Round £1 coins has now been and gone yet it’s estimated that there’s still over 450 million coins in circulation.
However, don’t panic if you didn’t have time to return them to the bank or have found some in a forgotten piggybank, there’s a number of options for you.
Here’s a list of five things you can do with your old Round Pounds to ensure that you don’t lose out:
1. Check if your coin is rare
If you find a Round Pound, the first thing to do is check to see if it’s rare. The most accurate way to determine the rarity of a circulation coin is our Scarcity Index.
From our experience we know that the rarer a coin is, the more desirable it becomes to collectors.
Although they are unlikely to make you rich overnight, some of the rarest circulation £1 coins currently sell for up to £20 on eBay. We’d also expect this to increase slightly now the coins have been withdrawn from circulation.
2. Donate your coin to The RBL Poppy Appeal
The Royal British Legion have announced that this year they’ll be accepting donated old pounds for the duration of their Poppy Appeal.
You can support the Armed Forces community by donating your coins right up until Remembrance Sunday which falls on the 12th November.
3. Return your coin to the bank
You can still deposit your Round Pounds at high street banks but you’ll need to be quick as this is only a temporary measure and at the bank’s discretion.
4. Spend your coin
A number of retailers have announced that they’ll continue to accept the Round Pound even though it is officially no longer legal tender.
Tesco and Poundland have agreed to continue accepting the Round Pound; Tesco for an extra week and Poundland until the 31st October.
The Federation of Small Businesses has also advised its members to continue accepting the round coins to provide a “useful community service” to customers.
5. Swap your coin using the Change Checker Swap Centre
Now that an estimated 1.2 billion Round Pounds have been withdrawn from circulation by the Royal Mint, not forgetting the many thousands that have been added to private collections, it’s become increasingly difficult for collectors to complete their Round Pound sets.
If you find a Round Pound which you do not need, why not list it as available to swap on our Swap Centre? It may well be that it is the exact coin somebody is looking for.
What could you buy for £1 in 1983?
I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how the value of the £1 coin has changed since it was first introduced back in 1983.
It’s common knowledge that the cost of living increases over time; however you may be surprised when you see just how much some everyday items have increased in cost during the past 34 years…
Round Pound Memories
The Round Pound has been in circulation for 34 years but sadly those days are coming to an end. At midnight on Sunday 15th October the Round Pound will be demonetised and cease to be legal tender.
So, to celebrate this icon of British history, we want to know your favourite Round Pound Memories. These memories can be anything: good, bad, funny but hopefully nostalgic. For example:
- Where did you find your first Edinburgh City?
- Did somebody lend you a Round Pound when you needed it most?
- What’s the best thing you’ve ever bought for just £1?
We’ve got 50 Gold Plated Participant’s Medals to give away to those who share the best #RoundPoundMemories.
You have until midnight on Sunday 15th October to share your #RoundPoundMemories.
You can post your memories as a comment on this blog or any of our social media channels, using the #RoundPoundMemories.
We hope you enjoy your trip down memory lane!