Coin Info
‘Forces Sweetheart’, Dame Vera Lynn, commemorated on UK £2 coin
In 2020, we received the sad news that Dame Vera Lynn had sadly passed away. The iconic wartime singer was famous for boosting the morale of British troops during WWII.
Coined as the ‘forces sweetheart’, her renditions of We’ll Meet Again, the White Cliffs of Dover and I’ll be Seeing You, became synonyms with wartime.
Dame Vera Lynn played such a key role during wartime that Buckingham Palace sent a private message of condolence to her family.
And in 2022, to commemorate her life and achievements, The Royal Mint commemorated her on a UK £2 coin.
Designed by The Royal Mint, this £2 features a detailed portrait of Vera Lynn as she appeared during the height of her fame.
The popularity of her songs carried across generations. In 2020, when many of us were forced apart from one another, her famous song ‘We’ll Meet Again’ spoke to the nation once more, with a similar level of emotion as they did in 1940 – a testament to her charm, skill, and beautiful voice.
To learn more about other UK coins which have been issued to commemorate wartime, continue reading…
2020 Victory in Europe £2
2020 marked 75 years since Victory in Europe Day, commonly known as VE Day.
This monumental day signified the end of the Second World War in Europe and brought long-awaited peace following Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of armed forces on the 8th May 1945.
To commemorate this pivotal moment and one of the most historically significant days in British history, a UK £2 coin was issued.
Dominique Evans‘ design features a woman holding a newspaper aloft in crowd of celebrating people, set against a backdrop of the word VICTORY.
The edge inscription reads ‘JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW’ which is incredibly fitting for a coin which marks such a historic anniversary.
2019 D-Day £2
In 2019, The Royal Mint issued a £2 coin commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history.
The invasion took place on the 6th June 1944 and began the liberation of German occupied France and laid the foundations for the Allied Victory.
Initially issued as part of the 2019 Annual Coin Set, the D-Day £2 is favoured among collectors for its innovative design by Stephen Taylor.
The reverse features arrows pointing across the English Channel to Normandy; each arrow has one of the five code-names for the beaches where Allied Troops landed: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
2005 St. Paul’s Cathedral £2
In 2005, The Royal Mint issued a second £2 in the new bi-metallic specifications to commemorate 60 years since the end of the war.
On 8th May 1945, Winston Churchill announced VE Day – Victory in Europe, which marked the end of World War Two.
Interestingly, the reverse design depicts St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is because the cathedral was one of only a few structures which survived the Blitz to become a great symbol of hope to a war-torn nation.
The edge inscription reads ‘IN VICTORY: MAGNANIMITY, IN PEACE: GOODWILL’ which is part of the famous maxim that prefaces Churchill’s history of the Second World War.
10,191,000 entered circulation. Have you found one in your change? Comment below!
Secure the 2022 UK Dame Vera Lynn £2 in the 2022 Annual Set
The Dame Vera Lynn £2 is no longer available, but you can still secure it as part of the 2022 Annual Coin Set >>
Official UK £2 coin celebrates 150 years of the FA Cup!
Can you work out the connection between these three events?
- In 2011, Yaya Toure’s 76th minute goal led Manchester City to seal their first major trophy in 35 years.
- The 1999 semi-final had one of the best solo goals in history, played between two of the biggest rivals in footballs.
- Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-0 in the 2002 final.
These are some of the very best moments in FA Cup History!
Producing hometown heroes, as underdogs play alongside Premier League giants, these unforgettable moments unite football fans, making the FA Cup one of the greatest knockout tournaments in the world.
The 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup 2022 £2 coin
In 2022, to celebrate a remarkable 150 years of the FA Cup, a UK £2 coin was issued featuring the famed FA Cup Trophy.
An absolute must-have for collectors and fans of the beautiful game alike, this is the perfect keepsake to commemorate such an incredible anniversary in football history.
This coin is no longer available from The Royal Mint, but you can still secure it in Brilliant Uncirculated Quality from Change Checker >>
With one of the largest fan-bases in the UK, football memorabilia is in high demand by collectors all over the world.
We’ve even seen huge popularity for Football themed coins in the past. Continue reading to find out our top UK coins that have celebrated this fantastic sport…
Olympic Football 50p
In 2012, the release of the Olympic 50p series kick-started a collecting frenzy across the nation.
It’s estimated that around 75% of these coins have been removed from circulation by collectors which means they are incredibly sought-after, especially considering these 50ps have some of the lowest mintage figures in circulation…
Many of the Olympic 50ps have a mintage less than 2,000,000 with the rarest being the Olympic Football 50p. This coin has a mintage of just 1,125,500!
It features a design of the hotly debated off-side rule, represented by a simple diagram. Designer Neil Wolfson, a sports journalist by trade, chose an image which he felt would encapsulate the sport whilst also provoke discussion.
Have you been lucky enough to find this sought-after coin in your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
1996 Football £2
Before 1997, £2 coins were struck from a single-coloured, nickel-brass and were mainly produced for collectors and reserved for very special occasions.
Between 1986 and 1996, only seven commemorative £2 coins were issued and this 1996 Football £2 was one of them.
The Euros of ’96 was such a significant occasion that The Royal Mint issued this coin “in celebration of football”.
The reverse design resembles a football, and is accentuated by the unusual concave surface of the coin. The year of 1996 is prominent on the design and the sixteen small rings represent the sixteen teams competing in the tournament. Only 5,141,350 were ever minted.
1996 saw England play host to the 10th European Football Championship and the eventual winners of the competition were Germany who knocked out the hosts in the semi-finals.
Do you remember seeing this £2 coin when it was first issued? Perhaps you even have it in your collection! Let us know in the comments below.
Secure the The 150th Anniversary of the FA Cup 2022 £2 coin for your collection!
70 Years of our Queen! All you need to know about the events and initiatives marking the Platinum Jubilee in 2022…
On this day in 1952, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, acceded the throne, making her only the eighth Queen to rule England, Scotland and then later, the United Kingdom.
Now, 70 years on, our Queen is marking her Platinum Jubilee – the only British monarch in history to do so! Her Majesty has been a constant during an ever-changing Britain over the last 70 years, and it’s fantastic that her achievements are being celebrated all throughout 2022!
At Change Checker HQ, we’ve been celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee with the issue of the UK’s FIRST Royal 50p!
This 50p was first issued as part of the Annual Coin Set, with a reverse design by London Based Design Agency, Osborne Ross, and the fifth portrait of Her Majesty by Jody Clark on the obverse.
Excitingly this brand new 50p has been confirmed to enter circulation on the 7th February! With an initial 1.3 million being circulated from Post Offices on this date, The Royal Mint have confirmed that a maximum of 5,000,070 could be issued based on demand!
And, there’s even a very special collector quality version of this coin too, featuring an obverse design of Her Majesty on horseback, which is a first for the UK 50p!
Designed by John Bergdahl, this 50p’s obverse design pays homage to the original 1953 Coronation Crown, the first to show Queen Elizabeth II on horseback.
If you’re yet to secure this coin for your collection, you can do so in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, for JUST £4.99 (+p&p). Simply click here >>
And to continue our celebrations, Change Checker are also back on tour, with this brand new coin! On the road to the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June, we’re going to giving YOU the chance to swap any 50p for this brand new Platinum Jubilee 50p in Brilliant Uncirculated quality!
Starting our tour in Westgate Shopping Centre, Oxford, on the 24th February, we’ll be bringing 1,952 coins with us for you to swap, in tribute to Her Majesty’s coronation year.
To find out all the details, click here >>
But there’s lots of fun events and activities happening all up and down the country in the run up to the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.
Including:
- The Queen’s Green Canopy, a unique tree planting initiative, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
- The Platinum Jubilee Pudding Competition, where the public are invited to create their own Jubilee pudding, with the winning pud being part of Her Majesty’s celebrations!
- The Queen’s Birthday Parade or otherwise known as Trooping the Colour, where over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will come together in the traditional Parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday, usually held on the second Saturday in June.
- Over 1,500 Platinum Jubilee Beacons will also be lit to mark the Platinum Jubilee, throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.
- The Platinum Party at the Palace will be staged and broadcasted by the BBC on Saturday 4th June, featuring some of the world’s biggest entertainment starts.
- On Sunday 5th June, streets up and the country can take part in the Big Jubilee lunch, which encourages communities to celebrate their connections!
- And of course, we’ve also been treated to an extended Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th of June!
This is just a small handful of the fun activities and initiatives that will be celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the brand new 2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p for your collection!
Your 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
An absolute must-have for collectors, order today to own the UK’s FIRST ROYAL 50p, including the special obverse design!