2022 Change Checker Awards – Winners Revealed!

The 2022 Change Checker Awards were opened to celebrate the very best collectors of Queen Elizabeth II coins.

It’s been wonderful to see all your entries – a testament to all the fantastic UK coins we’ve seen issued during Her Late Majesty’s reign. And, of course, your dedication to our beloved hobby!

But our well deserved winners have now been selected…

Change Checker of the Year

Jack Follows – Change Checker of the Year.

Jack Follows has built an incredible collection of Queen Elizabeth II coins, including the now-out-of-circulation round pounds.

We loved his tribute to Her Late Majesty, so a huge congratulations goes to him as he takes the crown as this year’s Change Checker of the Year!

Junior Change Checker of the Year

In another touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, Hector Kirk Wiggins, spelt out the royal cypher, EIIR with his impressive coin collection.

A huge congratulations to you Hector as you are this year’s victorious Junior Change Checker.

Hector Kirk Wiggins – Junior Change Checker of the Year

You’ll be taking home a personalized engraved Change Checker trophy, a Complete Change Checker Collecting Kit, a Change Checker Phonoscope, the King Charles III 50p, FA Cup £2, and Peter Rabbit £5 coin and lastly, a set of 9 Trading Cards!

But of course, you’ve also won the all-important Coin Collector Magazine subscription. A huge thanks again to All About Coins for gifting our Change Checker and Junior Change Checker of the Year this fantastic prize.

Runners Up

Finley Dickinson- Junior Change Checker of the Year Runner Up.

From the Music Legends coins, to the definitive set, Finley Dickinson’s collection of Queen Elizabeth II coins is very impressive!

Congratulations Finley, you’re our Junior Change Checker of the Year runner up!

Keep up the great work and we look forward to seeing your collection build even more.

Paul McLeod’s collection of Queen Elizabeth II coins is so large that it nearly fills a whole bed!

It’s fantastic to see some Change Checker Trading Cards in there too!

Congratulations Paul, you’re our Change Checker of the Year runner up.

Paul McLeod – Change Checker of the Year.

A huge congratulations to our winners and runners up! Keep up the great work. Your prizes are on their way to you!


2022 Coin Design of the Year

This year, we asked you to vote for your overall 2022 coin design!

It’s been great to see the coins that you guys have been loving this year but of course, there can only be one winner...

The Pride 50p!

Taking 13.3% of the votes, this circulation 50p is your favourite coin from 2022.

It was issued earlier this year to mark 50 years since the very first Pride march in London.

5 million Pride 50p coins have entered circulation. Have you found it? Let us know in the comments!

Find out more about the Pride 50p here >>

In second spot is the BBC 50p, which saw sell-outs across limited edition presentations within just hours of issues.

And to no surprise, the first 50p to feature King Charles III also comes in the top 3.

This coin has – today – entered circulation! Just 4.9 million coins are out there. Increase your chances of finding it by using our collector map >>


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 2022 and hope that 2023 is a fantastic year of Change Checking for you all!


Never miss a UK coin issue!

Have you found the King Charles III 50p in circulation?

Today, an estimated 4.9 million 50ps entered circulation bearing the first portrait of King Charles III! Have you found it?

The 2022 UK King Charles III 50p - now in circulation!
The 2022 UK King Charles III 50p – now in circulation!

This is the first coin in His Majesty’s reign to enter circulation, meaning collectors will be racing to find to it.

An estimated 4.9 million coins are being distributed via post offices – with the potential for more to enter circulation.

However, this will only happen if there is demand, or if previous Queen Elizabeth II coins become damaged or worn and need replacing.

We asked you to help us hunt down this 50p by popping your postcode in our map below as soon as you found the new 50p. We’ve tracked this coin up and down the country, from Inverness to Penzance!

The Change Checker Charles III 50p Collector Map.
The Change Checker Charles 50p Collector Map.

How much is the 50p worth?

Any avid collectors knows the worth of a scarce coin.

But, how much is the new King Charles III 50p worth? Find out on our blog >>

Swap your coins for the King Charles III 50p in our Facebook Community Group!

If you do struggle to find the 50p in your change you should head the Change Checker Community Group on Facebook. You can get tips, tricks, and even swap with other collectors – completely for free!

Join the Change Checker Community Group here >>


Display your 50p in the First Effigy Collecting Pack!

As soon as you find the KCIII 50p in your change, you can slot it into your First Effigy 50p collecting pack, alongside the King Charles III £5 coin.

Get the King Charles III First Effigy Collecting Pack for JUST £15.99 (+p&p) here >>

Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters with the 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p

The journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters has begun, with the brand new 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p.

The 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p.
Showing obverse to the left (with QEII's portrait and 2022 date) and reverse to the right (showing the Hogwarts Express from Jim Kay's 2015 illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone book.
Get the 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p here >>

This UK first celebrates the world-famous scarlet steam engine, the Hogwarts Express. You can add it to your collection for JUST £4.99 (+p&p) here >>

Continue reading to discover why it’s not just Harry Potter fans that are rushing to get their hands on this coin…

First introduced 25 years ago, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the Hogwarts Express is estimated to have transported students to the famous wizarding school, no less than SIX times a year.

And so iconic is this train, that Jim Kay dedicated the entire cover and two full pages of his fully illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to it.

2015 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone book cover and two-page illustrations by Jim Kay. Showing the Hogwarts Express on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
This image has been used on the design of the 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p.
2015 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone book cover and two-page illustrations by Jim Kay. Showing the Hogwarts Express on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

It’s also been celebrated in the UK Harry Potter 50p series – the first-ever UK coins to celebrate the famous wizard.

Excitingly, this brand-new coin is a mirror image of Jim Kay’s 2015 illustrated book.

The 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p.
Held in white gloved hand, showing the Hogwarts Express from Jim Kay's 2015 illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone book.
The 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p. Get yours for £4.99 (+p&p) here >>

Get your hands on this brand new 50p for JUST £4.99 (+p&p) here >>

Last individual QEII UK commemorative 50p 

This 50p has been confirmed to be the last individual UK commemorative 50p to feature Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on the obverse. This is sure to make this individual coin highly sought-after.

But the whole Harry Potter 50p series has a very interesting story…

It’s unlike any other.

The series includes both Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III’s portraits on them.

The Harry Potter and Hogwarts Express 50p coins feature the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.

The obverse design of the Hogwarts 2022 UK Express 50p. Featuring the last portrait of QEII by Jody Clark.
The obverse design of the 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p. Featuring the last portrait of QEII by Jody Clark.

However, the coins issued next year (Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 50ps) will feature King Charles III’s portrait on the obverse.

This is sure to make the series even more popular with collectors, as they race to collect the last UK commemorative QEII coins, alongside some of the very first KCIII coins.

You can get ahead of the crowd and pre-order the final two coins in the Harry Potter 50p series by clicking here >>

Special lenticular feature on 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p

Unique to the Harry Potter 50p series, a lightning bolt lenticular feature appears on the reverse design of the 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p coin.

When tilted, the lightning bolt transforms into the number 25, in celebration of the first book’s anniversary.

This has been catching the attention of collectors since it first appeared on the 2022 UK Harry Potter 50p.

The 2022 UK Harry Potter 50p coin. Get yours here >>

The best way to view this lenticular feature is with the Change Checker Phone Magnifier!

It works by clipping onto a mobile device, and magnifying the camera, allowing you to see the incredible small detail of the Hogwarts Express 50p!

The Change Checker Phonescope. Get yours for £9.99 (+p&p) >>

Get yours here for JUST £9.99 (+p&p) >>

It’s believed the lenticular feature will also appear on the 2023 Harry Potter 50p coins.


Combining the intricate reverse design, with QEII’s portrait and a special lenticular feature, this coin is set to be in high demand…

Will you be adding this brand-new coin to your collection? Let us know in the comments!


Fill the gaps in your Harry Potter 50p collection!

Browse the Harry Potter 50p range here >>

Click here to fill the gaps in your Harry Potter 50p collection today >>

You can even pre-order the final two Harry Potter coins, ahead of their release next year.