General info
2021 Winnie the Pooh and Friends – What we know so far…
What exciting news we’ve received just before Christmas – the next three coins in the Winnie the Pooh 50p series have been confirmed!
As of the Royal Proclamation on 18th December 2021, it has been announced that three more friends from Hundred Acre Wood will be joining Winnie the Pooh on the nation’s best-loved coin.
The Royal Mint have confirmed that the upcoming coins will feature:
- Winnie the Pooh and friends
- Tigger
- Owl
Whilst the designs of these coins remain top secret, we’re sure they’re going to be just as adorable as the 2020 Winnie the Pooh 50ps. We can’t wait to see them!
2020 Winnie the Pooh 50p Series
Given the HUGE popularity of last year’s series, these new 50p coins are SURE to be a hit with collectors!
If you want to get ahead of the crowd and be one of the very first collectors to receive the latest UK new issue coins as soon as possible after their release, you can do so with the Change Checker CERTIFIED BU Subscription.
Make sure you don’t miss out on securing these coins for your collection as soon as they’re released!
Which character are you most excited about seeing in this brand new 50p series? Let us know in the comments below!
2020 Change Checker Awards – WINNERS Announced!
Since the 2020 Change Checker Awards were opened to celebrate the very best people in the world of change collecting, nominations have been flooding in, and it really has been incredible to hear all of your stories from the last year.
It’s certainly meant we’ve had a really tough job deciding on the winners, but with thanks to our panel of judges from the Change Checker team and AllAboutCoins, our well deserved winners have now been selected…
Change Checker of the Year
Winner:
Ben Osborne
‘Ben the coin collector’, as he is known by to his friends and family, is both an avid collector and supporter of the collecting community. He has built up an extensive collection of coins, whilst also encouraging others to take up the hobby too.
Well done Ben!
Runner-up:
Ann Weaver
Ann has gone above and beyond in helping others complete their collections this year. She has exchanged money for commemorative coins for those who have been unable to visit the banks themselves.
Congratulations Ann!
Junior Change Checker of the Year
Winner:
Emily Jackson
Emily has been collecting coins for over 2 years now, and she has successfully filled 4 Change Checker albums with her impressive collections! She even donated some of her coins to a local care home to encourage residents to take up the hobby.
Congratulations Emily!
Runner-up:
Michael Clough
Michael has become an avid coin collector, who regularly swaps on the Change Checker Community Group and loves hunting through bags of coins for coins he can add to his collection. He’s also made generous donations of coins to others – an attribute that is highly regarded in the collecting community.
Congratulations Michael!
Matt, a panel member at AllAboutCoins, said:
‘Wow, the team at allaboutcoins.co.uk were blown away by the entrants for this year’s awards, with so many heart-warming stories and inspirational collectors. It’s been a heck of a year, and so hearing how coin enthusiasts used their interest in coins to help others was brilliant.
Congratulations to all the winners, and to everyone who entered or simply got some pleasure from our wonderful hobby during 2020. We hope the winners enjoy reading Coin Collector magazine and we will watch their progress with interest!’
Coin Design of the Year
It comes as no surprise that the 2020 Coin Design of the Year is awarded to the Team GB 50p!
This coin has been the talking point of the year in the collecting community, as we saw its initial release be postponed to 2021 as a result of the Olympic Games also being postponed.
However, the coin was available in the Annual Coin Sets, which led collectors to question whether we’d see two versions of this 50p, with different mintage figures.
Later in 2020 it was confirmed that the 2021 issued coin, would have the same design as the 2020 version, but with the new date included – meaning there will definitely be two versions of the Team GB 50p!
Have you got a 2020 dated Team GB 50p in your collection? Let us know below!
Coin Art of the Year
A huge congratulations to Natalie Christie, for her amazing guitar coin art, Gemma Louise for her tribute to the wonderful NHS, and Kerry Taylor’s heart of 50ps. You’ve each won a set of 3 Trading Cards, so send us an email at [email protected] or send us a private message on Facebook with your address to claim your prize.
Coin Story of the Year
The winner of the 2020 Coin Story of the Year Award goes to George Nixon, of This Is Money, for his article on the adorable 2020 Winnie the Pooh 50p series.
Speaking to Change Checker, George said, “[When he] was just a small boy, I like many kids was in love with the Hundred Acre Wood and the stories of Winnie the Pooh. It’s fitting and especially lovely then to have won this award for this particular story.”
A big thank you once again to AllAboutCoins for supporting us this year and of course a huge congratulations to all of our winners and all the fantastic entries we had this year.
We’d like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support in 2020 and hope that 2021 is a fantastic year of Change Checking for you all!
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app
Music Legends £5 series rocks the nation!
Everyone has different tastes in music, but there are some artists you just can’t deny are true Music Legends, and The Royal Mint are celebrating these icons on a series on UK £5 coins!
2024 George Michael £5
The latest Music Legends £5 has just been released, and I Knew You Were Waiting for this one! George Michael is the latest Music Legend to feature on a UK £5, and this Amazing new release also coincides with the 40th anniversary of his first solo song, Careless Whisper.
One of the best-selling musicians of all time, It’s estimated that George Michael sold over 125 million records worldwide during his career – with smash hits such as Faith, Freedom! ‘90 and Fastlove.
The 2024 UK George Michael £5 features an instantly recognisable image of the star in his ‘Faith’ era, complete with his trademark sunglasses.
Your George Michael £5 coin has been struck to superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and comes presented in official Change Checker packaging to be preserved for generations to come.
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on your chance to add the George Michael £5 to your collection, click here to secure yours >>
2023 The Police £5
Dubbed ‘the biggest band in the world’ by Rolling Stone magazine in 1983, The Police were one of the definitive rock groups of the 1970s and 80s. To celebrate 40 years since their final album Synchronicity, the band features on the latest Music Legends £5 coin!
The English rock band, fronted by lead vocalist Sting, have never before been featured on a UK coin, and with a massive 75 million record sales under their belt, it’s only fitting that they’ve been celebrated on the latest Music Legends £5 coin.
Inspired by The Classics
The reverse design takes inspiration from both the Synchronicity album cover and the Every Breath You Take: The Classics cover art.
The 2023 UK Police £5 is only the second coin in The Royal Mint’s Music Legends series to feature King Charles III on the obverse, continuing this exciting dual-monarch series of £5 coins.
Don’t miss out on adding The Police £5 to your collection, click here to secure yours >>
2023 Dame Shirley Bassey £5
Without a doubt, Dame Shirley Bassey is one of the most iconic British vocalists of the 20th Century, so it’s only fitting that she features on the latest coin in The Royal Mint’s Music Legends series. The brand new 2023 UK Dame Shirley Bassey £5 coin celebrates 70 years of the Dame’s incredible legacy in show business.
Spot the hidden details
Designer Sue Aperghis has really captured the essence of Dame Shirley Bassey’s incredible talent and style with a design featuring her silhouette and name in lights, and a Welsh dragon to represent her birthplace. There are also a few hidden details…
Bassey is perhaps best known for featuring on the soundtracks of three James Bond theme songs, Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker and Goldfinger. The names of all three Bond tracks feature within the design, but can you find them all?
The 2023 Dame Shirley Bassey £5 is the first coin in the Music Legends series to feature King Charles III on the obverse. All 4 of the previous Music Legends coins have featured Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy on the obverse, making it one of the first dual portrait UK commemorative £5 series.
Don’t miss out on adding the 2023 UK Dame Shirley Bassey £5 to your collection, secure yours here >>
2022 The Rolling Stones £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
This Music Legends coin celebrates 60 years of iconic rock band, The Rolling Stones!
The design shows the band in concert, with their name above them and dates ‘62-‘22 at the bottom, representing the anniversary.
In 2021, The Rolling Stones became the highest earning live act of the year, as announced by Rolling Stone magazine – this isn’t surprising when you consider their huge fanbase across the world!
On the obverse, you’ll spot Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II‘s portrait, but did you know that this was one of the last £5 coins to feature The Queen before the introduction of King Charles III’s coin portrait?
Add the 2022 The Rolling Stones £5 to your collection >>
2021 The Who £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
The fourth Music Legends to feature in this £5 coin series was British group, The Who. The Who were amongst the most popular and influential bands of the 1960s and ’70s. Key to defining the mod genre and originating the ‘rock opera’ both in Britain and worldwide, The Who are without a doubt, true Music Legends.
The 2021 The Who £5 was designed by artist, Henry Gray to include a Union flag, mod logo and Rickenbacker guitar within a Tommy inspired pinball table, this superb coin acts as a nod to some of the band’s most famous creations.
Mod-Rock Legends
Among the most popular and influential bands of the 1960s and ’70s, The Who were key to defining the mod genre and originated the ‘rock opera’ both in Britain and worldwide. Despite having an early influence from the American Rhythm and Blues genre, The Who’s move towards a new style of British rock allowed them to reject any form of pretension when dealing with teenage frustrations.
The Who’s undeniable popularity, which spans across generations, has granted them numerous awards and they even reached the Grammy Hall of Fame for their single ‘My Generation’ and the albums ‘Tommy’ and ‘Who’s Next’.
Click here to secure The Who £5 for your collection >>
2020 UK David Bowie £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
The third coin in the Music Legend series celebrates the icon that is David Bowie.
The coin, by Jody Clark, features a design which pays tribute to Bowie’s Aladdin Sane era. It depicts the music legend transitioning between his various personas, set against his iconic ‘BOWIE’ font and the world-famous lightning bolt that Bowie sported as his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.
Encapsulating everything Bowie stood for; transformation, non-conformism, and vibrancy, this £5 coin pays the perfect tribute to one of the UK’s biggest Music Legends of all time.
Bowie’s songs depicted the ups and downs being an outsider: an alien, a misfit, or even a faraway astronaut! His music appealed to all, with a blend of rock, cabaret, jazz and soul. It was this eclectic mix of style and honest charm that defined him as one of the greatest music legends of the 20th century.
During Bowie’s vibrant career, he released 27 studio albums, 128 singles, and 72 music videos. Some of his most famous works include Space Oddity (1969), Life on Mars? (1971), Heroes (1977), and Ashes to Ashes (1980).
Sadly, in 2016 David Bowie passed away just two days after his birthday, leaving behind a legacy of nonconformist music and style.
And, in 2020 his legacy lives on, with the release of the David Bowie £5 >>
2020 UK Elton John £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
The second coin in the Music Legends series celebrated Sir Elton John, who has been delighting his fans for more than half a century.
Since his very first self-titled album in 1970, Elton John has sold in excess of 300 million records worldwide. Some of his chart-topping hits include, ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight?’, ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, ‘Candle in the Wind’, and ‘I’m Still Standing’.
He also found success on Broadway, composing for Billy Elliot (2008), which went on to win 10 Tony Awards. As recognition of his contribution to music, Sir Elton John was knighted in 1998 and in 2020 he was celebrated on a £5 for the first time.
The reverse design of this £5 coin, by Bradley Morgan Johnson, represents John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’ era. Speaking of the design, Johnson said, “I’m Still Standing was one of [his] favourite childhood pop tracks” and you can definitely see the influence this song had on the design of this coin.
The best thing about this coin, is that Sir Elton John himself approved the design! By owning this coin, you really are in possession of some huge music legend memorabilia.
To secure the 2020 Elton John £5 for your collection, click here >>
2020 Queen £5 Coin
*No longer available at the Mint*
The very first £5 coin in the Music Legends series paid tribute to one of Britain’s most iconic and influential bands – Queen.
Formed in London in 1970, Queen instantly rocked the nation and became a British icon, creating unique and timeless songs which are still loved to this day. As of 2005, Queen’s albums have spent the equivalent of 26 years in the UK Album Charts! (According to the Guinness Book of World Records).
The design of this £5 coin by Chris Facey, showcases the iconic instruments of all four founder members of the band: Brian May’s Red Special guitar, John Deacon’s Fender Precision Bass™, Roger Taylor’s Ludwig™ bass drum, and Freddy Mercury’s Bechstein™ grand piano.
The Queen £5 is full of ‘firsts’, such as…
- The first-time ever that Queen have featured on a coin worldwide
- The first-time ever a British band has been celebrated on UK coinage
- The first coin to be issued in the new series celebrating British Music Legends.
What’s more, band members Brian May and Roger Taylor have officially approved the design of this coin!
To add the 2020 UK Queen £5 to your collection, click here >>
Who is your favourite Music Legend?
We’d love to know which coin in this Music Legends £5 series is your favourite so far, so let us know in the comments below!
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