General info
Can you complete the shield!?
It’s been 16 years since Matthew Dent redesigned the UK’s definitive coins to create the Royal Shield of Arms design, and we now have the New UK Coinage for King Charles III which will replace these designs.
So it’s hard to believe there are still some people who don’t actually realise that these coins can be pieced together to complete the shield!
Time for change
In 2005, it was decided that our definitive UK coinage was due an overhaul, and The Royal Mint ran a competition for members of the public to design the new coins. Out of 4,000 designs that were submitted, The Royal Mint Advisory Committee selected Matthew Dent’s Royal Shield designs as the winner in 2008.
Speaking about his designs, Dent said “I felt that the solution to The Royal Mint’s brief lay in a united design, united in terms of theme, execution and coverage over the surface of the coins.”
Using all the coins from the 1p to the 50p and fitting them together like a jig-saw, the complete shield is revealed – as seen on the £1 coin design issued from 2008 until 2015.
Of course, the old round pound was replaced by the 12 sided Nations of the Crown £1 in 2017 and have now been withdrawn from circulation. However, the definitive 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p shield coins can still be found in your change, meaning the Royal Shield can still be collected and completed.
In fact, I bet if you were to check the change in your pocket right now, you’d be surprised by how much of the shield you’ll already be able to piece together!
Complete the Shield
So, why not try collecting the Royal Shield coins and see if you can complete the shield? And, if you’d like to give yourself even more of a challenge, how about collecting the whole shield for each year, starting with the coins issued in 2008!
To help you on your collecting journey, you can secure your own Royal Shield Collector Pack, which includes the Royal Shield 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 20p – all you have to do is find the 50p in your change to complete the shield.
Secure your Royal Shield Collector Pack for JUST £4.99 (+p&p) >>
Change Checker LIVE 50p Swap is coming to Cardiff Comic Con!
We’re extremely excited to announce that we’re bringing our Change Checker Live 50p Swap to Cardiff Comic Con!
Join us on Saturday 19th October and Sunday 20th October at Cardiff Comic Con in the Utilita Arena where we’ll be giving collectors the chance to swap ANY UK 50p coin for a brand new Brilliant Uncirculated UK 50p.
Usually, collectors only get the chance to swap their coins for one new coin design at our live swap events, however this time is a bit different…
We’re pitting two extremely popular 50p series against each other and giving you the choice of either a Star Wars™ Character Duo 50p OR a Star Wars™ Spacecraft 50p!
Our Brilliant Uncirculated UK 50ps will usually set you back £5.99, plus postage – so this is your chance to get your hands on one in superior collector quality for just face value!
We’ll be taking 1,600 coins with us to swap over the weekend – half made from a mix of Star Wars™ Character Duo 50ps and the other half a mix of Star Wars™ Spacecraft 50ps – but which series will prove most popular?
Which 50p series would you chose?
At Change Checker HQ, we’ve been having quite the debate about which of these Star Wars™ series is the best, and to settle the argument once and for all, we need your help!
If you come to see us at the show, you’ll get the choice to swap your 50p for either a Star Wars™ Character Duo 50p OR a Star Wars™ Spacecraft 50p, and once you’ve made your decision, we’ll ask you to vote by placing a token in our voting tubes.
And if you’re not coming, don’t worry – we’ll be sharing the vote results at regular intervals on our social media channels, so make sure you stay tuned to keep up to date!
Cardiff Comic Con
Comic Con is a fan convention where attendees celebrate films, cult television series, video games, anime, cosplay and comic books. Cardiff Comic Con boasts around 6,000 guests each year, with some of the biggest names in the pop culture industry attending.
Credit: filmandcomicconcardiff.com
Find out more about what’s going on at this year’s Cardiff Comic Con here >>
FAQs
Where can I find you at the show?
Our exact location at the show is yet to be confirmed, but we’ll update this blog as soon as we know more information.
How many coins can I swap?
Such is the popularity of our Live Coin Swaps, and to ensure it’s fair for everybody, we’re limiting the number of swaps to strictly 1 swap per person.
Can I reserve a coin before I arrive?
To ensure a fair swap event for everyone, we do not offer reservations of coins. It is a strictly first come first served basis.
Will you have other coins with you at the show?
As well as the coins for swapping, we’ll have each of the 8 Star Wars™ 50p coins available to buy, along with some other coins we think collectors will enjoy.
Where can I buy tickets for the show?
You can buy tickets on the Cardiff Comic Con website >>
Can’t make it?
Whilst we hope to see you at our Live Swap, if you’re unable to come along, you can still secure these coins for your collection in Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
The importance of security features on UK coins
When it comes to the coins jingling in your pocket, the Royal Mint employs a number of sophisticated techniques to ensure each coin is secure and genuine.
But how much do you actually know about the security features that keep your coins safe?
Visible security features
Bi-metallic design
The distinctive bi-metallic design seen in coins like the twelve sided £1 coin and post 1997 £2 coins is not just an aesthetic choice, but an advanced security feature. The combination of two different metals – a nickel-brass outer ring and a cupronickel inner core – increases the complexity of the minting process, making fraud significantly more challenging.
Milled edges and edge lettering
First introduced by the Royal Mint in the 1660s, the complex process of adding milled (grooved) edges or edge lettering to UK coinage not only provides a high degree of visual security, but also makes the coins difficult to counterfeit accurately.
Lenticular features
Special lenticular imaging is another ingenious feature incorporated into some UK coinage. This involves an image that changes appearance when the coin is titled at different angles. The bi-metallic £1 coin, first issued in 2017, showcases this feature beautifully. When tilted, the pound sign (£) changes to the number one (1), creating a dynamic visual effect that is not only mesmerising but also serves as a powerful deterrent against counterfeiters.
Fine engraving, design decisions and micro-lettering
The introduction of new cutting techniques for steel tooling, combined with advancements in computer-aided modelling, has enabled coin designers to incorporate previously unattainable details. These details are as complex as those on a banknote but benefit from being three-dimensional.
Some bi-metallic coin designs extend across both the inner and outer sections of the coin, adding a layer of complexity that helps deter forgery.
Certain coins even include micro-lettering, an advanced design feature that’s hard to produce with consistent quality. For example, the lower inside rims of both the obverse and the reverse of the twelve sided £1 coin feature micro-lettering.
Shape
The introduction of the dodecagonal (twelve sided) £1, first issued in 2017, serves as another security feature. The distinctive shape of the coin makes it much more difficult to counterfeit compared to the previous round pound design.
Hidden Security Features
Secret messages (Electromagnetic signature)
Some new coins are fitted with a special plating that contains an electromagnetic signature (EMS). When passed through a small electromagnetic field, each coin creates ripples or other disturbances that can be detected and analysed. Different combinations of size and metal cause distinct patterns when the coins are passed through such a field. The distinct pattern of a particular coin is called its ‘electronic signature’.
‘Hidden’ unknown security feature
The Royal Mint announced that the twelve sided £1 coin includes a secret ‘High Security Feature’ which is even more advanced than an Electromagnetic Signature. Details of this feature are top secret, but it’s thought to involve material within the plating layer of the coin which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines.
Find out more about your coins
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use!
