50p Coins
50p “Scarcity Index” Launched – discover which UK 50p coins are the most collectable
Can’t wait – click here to reveal the UK’s “scarcest” 50p coin
Change Checker has launched the 50p “Scarcity Index”, which tracks which circulating 50p coins are the most scarce and collectable.
The index uses a unique combination of mintage, collecting and swap data to give the most up-to-date picture of today’s 50p coin collecting market.
The top 5
There’s no surprise to find Kew Gardens at the top of the list. With a mintage of just 210,000, it is also the least owned and most requested swap. The next 4 scarcest coins are all from the 2012 Olympics – Football, Triathlon, Judo and Wrestling.
The recent Beatrix Potter 50p coins also rank highly, with Jemima Puddle-Duck and Squirrel Nutkin coming in at numbers 6 and 7 – based largely on their low level of ownership and high swap requests, as official mintages are yet to be confirmed by the Royal Mint.
Click here to see the full list
How the Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have had to rely upon mintage figures to identify the scarcest coins. But they only tell part of the story. Trying to find a good quality coin from 15 – 20 years ago, even for a higher mintage issue, is much more challenging than a more recent issue, as coins become damaged over time and are ultimately removed from circulation.
Additionally, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – the Beatrix Potter issues being a classic example. Finally, it can be up to a couple of years before the Royal Mint eventually confirms the actual mintage for an issue.
That’s why we have combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information.
- How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin.
- The number of times a design has been requested as a swap over the previous 3 months, showing the current level of collector demand.
Importantly, as new coins are released and popularity rises and falls across different designs the Scarcity Index will be updated quarterly allowing Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index does not necessarily equate to value but it is certainly an effective indicator. Whilst Kew Gardens 50p coins command prices on eBay of between £70 and £100, other coins towards the top of the scarcity index typically achieve a premium of roughly 10 – 12 times face value.
But don’t forget the joy of Change Collecting is that you have always have a chance of finding any one of these coins in your change – even Kew Gardens – you just have to be sharp-eyed.
What about £1 and £2 Coins?
The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the round £1 coins and, because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone. Change Checker will be releasing the £2 Scarcity Index later in April.
Which Beatrix Potter 50p Coins are the scarcest?
With Monday’s announcement of four new Beatrix Potter 50p coins leading to as many as 50,000 collectors queuing at The Royal Mint’s website to reserve the coins online, Change Checker can reveal which of last year’s 5 Beatrix Potter circulation 50p coins are currently the most sought after by collectors.
Using data unique collecting and swap data, Change Checker will be publishing its first-ever 50p “Scarcity Index” later this month but ahead of the full publication, we can give you a sneak preview as to which of last year’s Beatrix Potter 50p coins are currently most sought after by collectors.
How rare are the Beatrix Potter 50p coins?
Final mintages are yet to be published but the Change Checker “Scarcity Index” scores each of the UK’s 54 circulation 50p coin designs out of 100 to determine their relative scarcity.
Results suggest that Jemima Puddle-Duck is currently the 6th most difficult coin to find in your change, with Squirrel Nutkin coming in close behind. Peter Rabbit has certainly become easier over the last few months but still sits 20th out 54 issues.
How valuable are my Beatrix Potter 50p coins?
Currently you can still buy base metal collector versions of the Beatrix Potter 50p coins direct from the Royal Mint for £10 and Change Checker Certified Brilliant Uncirculated versions for £3.99, rather than wait to find them in your change. That has meant that their values have been pretty much capped.
But The Royal Mint has confirmed that they are not striking any more 2016 collector editions, which means that when current stocks of the Brilliant Uncirculated version are exhausted, collectors’ only choice will be to search for circulation versions.
So whilst the 2016 Beatrix Potter 50p coins are not likely to follow the example of the ultra-rare Kew Gardens 50p, which achieves prices of between £70 and £100, collectors may see prices rise from around 6 times face value to somewhere between 10 and 12 times face value over the coming months.
But don’t forget, the joy of Change Checking is that you may receive a Beatrix Potter 50p coin in your change at any time for just its face value – 50p.
Revealed: Four new Beatrix Potter 50p coins
There is no doubt that the 2016 Beatrix Potter caused a collecting storm across the UK with collectors checking their change in an attempt to find a complete set of Beatrix Potter 50p’s. In fact the series has been so popular, the coins have dominated the news ever since they were revealed by The Royal Mint last year.
And now, 2017 is set to be another exciting year for Change Checkers with the release of FOUR BRAND NEW Beatrix Potter 50p’s.
Just revealed…
There were rumours last year about whether more Beatrix Potter themed 50ps would be issued… and they were true! We can now reveal the brand new designs for 2017…
Peter Rabbit
The 2017 Peter Rabbit 50p
The ‘Tale of Peter Rabbit’ was the first in a series of 23 little tales by Beatrix Potter. The inquisitive bunny is the star of the little tales and pops up in many of the other stories.
This brand new 50p is available right now in superior brilliant uncirculated quality and features Peter Rabbit in his iconic blue jacket that became the emblem of Beatrix Potter’s work.
Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The 2017 Mr. Jeremy Fisher 50p
Like many of the characters from the little tales, Jeremy Fisher began life in a letter which Beatrix Potter wrote while holidaying on the River Tay in Scotland.
The 50p features Mr. Jeremy Fisher in his waterproof makintosh and galoshes and collector quality versions are due to be released on the 5th June.
Tom Kitten
The 2017 Tom Kitten 50p
Tom Kitten was first introduced in 1907 when the ‘The Tale of Tom Kitten’ was published. The naughty kitten appeals to children everywhere with his antics and is another favourite character from the series.
The collector version Tom Kitten 50p will be available from 31st July and features the original illustration of Tom Kitten from the front cover of Beatrix Potter’s book.
Benjamin Bunny
The 2017 Benjamin Bunny 50p
‘The tale of Benjamin Bunny’ published in 1904, was written from scratch by Beatrix Potter. She even borrowed a cat to create new sketches for the illustrated tale.
The 50p features Benjamin Bunny dressed in his little brown jacket and over-sized tam-o’-shanter, this coin will be available in September in superior brilliant uncirculated quality.
I’m sure you’ll agree, these four coins are the perfect continuation of the series, and really capture the nostalgic charm of Beatrix Potter’s original stories. Emma Noble has designed all four coins which have been issued to carry on the celebrations of some of Beatrix Potter’s most loved animals.
There is no date as of yet to when these 50p’s will be released into circulation but we’ll be sure to update you as soon as we can. The first series of 50p’s issued in 2016 proved to be extremely popular with collectors nationwide, so it is no doubt that the second series of 50p’s will be just as sought after.
Avoid the long wait to find the Peter Rabbit 50p coin in your change by securing the Brilliant Uncirculated issue today for just £3.99 (+p&p).