Coin Info
Charles in your Change – where will you find a KCIII 50p and how much is it worth?
A new UK 50p has entered circulation featuring King Charles III’s portrait for the first time – but collectors are wondering, “how much is it worth?”
Special collector versions of the coins have already been issued and their limited edition presentations sold out within JUST HOURS!
4.9 million of these very 50ps will begin circulating from December.
You all know how many people will want this coin.
So, it could be tricky to get your hands on one.
How will you find the new KCIII 50p?
That’s why Change Checker is launching our Charles in your Change campaign – helping you collectors increase your chances of finding this 50p.
We’re asking the UK public to register where in the country they found it.
This will help us to update our collector map showing the best hot spots to find the new coin.
We’ll update this every week, so you can keep track of where, and how quickly these coins are moving around the country.
What will the King Charles III 50p be worth?
Any avid collectors knows the worth of a scarce coin.
A look at the Change Checker Scarcity Index will show you just how sought-after UK coins can be.
The coin at the top of the 50p Scarcity Index is the Kew Gardens 50p – just 210,000 entered circulation in 2009 and they still (over 13 years later) fetch around £100 on secondary market sites.
The value of the King Charles III 50p depends on what someone is prepared to pay in the future – that’s part of the joy of collecting.
But, you can be sure that if you find one in your change, you’ll own a small piece of history – the very first coin of King Charles III’s reign. And remember, it’ll never be worth less than its face value of 50p.
When will there be more coins?
Look out for a new £1 coin design next year.
It’ll be the first new £1 design since 2017 and excitingly, the very first £1 coin that could feature King Charles III’s portrait on the obverse. Find out more here >>
And of course, look out for those definitive coins – 1p – £2 coins. They will, inevitably, be redesigned in the future to have His Majesty’s portrait on them.
The first definitive coins of a new monarch’s reign mark a significant moment in numismatic history. Consequently, collectors will be racing to find a complete set of definitive coins.
Swap your coins with other collectors
Swapping your coins with other collectors will help you fill any gaps you may have in your coin collections.
If people are lucky enough to find more than one King Charles III 50p in their change, they could be prepared to swap one.
So, 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!
Or, you can list your coin collection online with the Change Checker Web App. It’s free to use and will take less than 60 seconds to sign-up!
Display your KCIII 50p in the First Effigy Collecting Pack
Get the King Charles III First Effigy Collecting Pack for JUST £15.99 (+p&p) here >>
As soon as you find the KCIII 50p in your change, you can slot it into your collecting pack, alongside the King Charles III £5 coin.
New circulation coin causes a shakeup! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we reveal the circulation coin causing a HUGE shakeup.
It’s your chance to discover the UK’s most sought-after circulation 10p, 50p, and £2 coins of the last three months!
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index.
50p Scarcity Index
This quarter, it’s the circulation Pride 50p coin that has caused a huge Scarcity Index shakeup…
5 million Pride 50ps entered circulation in October, and it seems you’ve all been trying to get your hands on it as it’s climbed an astonishing 23 places!
If you’re new to the hobby and don’t know a lot about this coin, you can discover more here >>
Otherwise, stay with me as I’ll tell you the 50p to keep an eye on and the key movers on the 10p and £2 indexes!
The Wheelchair Rugby 50p has climbed up 16 places, putting it in the top 10 Scarcest 50ps in circulation.
And, with the first-ever King Charles III coin set to enter circulation next month, stay tuned for our next Scarcity Index update, where we’ll see its debut!
10p Scarcity Index
As we creep into the colder months, nothing beats an good cup of Tea to warm us up.
And things are certainly warming up on the 10p Index thanks to this coin.
The Tea 10p was first issued in 2018 as part of a 26-coin series celebrating all things Quintessentially British.
Another 10p to keep your eyes peeled for is the X Marks the Spot design. This has jumped up 17 places since our last Scarcity Index update.
A maximum of JUST 304,000 of each design entered circulation in 2018 and 2019, making them some of the most sought-after coins out there! So get checking your change for the A-Z 10p coins today!
£2 Scarcity Index
This quarter, we’ve seen the £2 index slow, with fewer moves. This is largely to be expected as we’ve not had a £2 coin enter circulation since 2016.
But, with a new era of UK coinage just around the corner, could we see a redesign of our £2 coins with King Charles III’s portrait on the obverse? Only time will tell.
But of course, the £2 remaining at the top of the Index is the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2.
This coin has been in circulation for over 20 years but still remains a fan favourite. That’s because just 458,500 are out there.
Have you found this coin in your change? Let us know in the comments!
How your 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 poignant First World War £2 Coin series being an 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. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay.
You can use the 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
What about £1 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.
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The Snowman™ and The Snowdog come to life on a UK 50p!
In 2022, a UK 50p was issued, marking the 10th anniversary of the first premiere of ‘The Snowman™ and The Snowdog‘ film.
The critically acclaimed animated sequel, ‘The Snowman™ and The Snowdog‘, suitably premiered on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve, 2012.
It was created with the late Raymond Briggs’ blessing and subsequently, in 2015, a book of the film was published by Puffin, bringing words to the story for the first time.
And, for the first time ever The Snowdog joins The Snowman™ on a UK 50p!
Interestingly for collectors, The Snowman™ and The Snowdog 50p features a design by award-winning illustrator Robin Shaw.
As well as being an accredited designer, Shaw also acted as assistant director on the 2012 film!
2022 UK The Snowman™ and The Snowdog
Undeniably, Snowman™ coins are some of the most popular out there, with previous issues selling out remarkably fast.
The 2022 UK Snowman™ and The Snowdog 50p was issued the same year as Raymond Briggs’ passing, making it one of the most poignant issues in the series. It was also one of the last UK coins with Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on the obverse.
As the UK’s only official Christmas coin, it is the perfect festive gift, that’s certainly going to warm the hearts of every collector (and every dog lover) out there!
Last year when the 2021 Snowman™ 50p was issued, I gave my top tips for building your own snowman! With the temperatures dropping, we can certainly hope for a white Christmas!
