Coin News
The UK’s most popular A-Z 10p coin revealed…
The new A-Z 10p coins have proved some of the hardest coins to find in your change. Whilst that will hopefully become easier as more are gradually released into circulation over the coming months, we’ve taken a first look at which are the most popular with collectors.
There’s not enough data yet to publish a full scarcity index but we have crunched the numbers based on Change Checker’s top swap requests – and here are the winners.
1. A – Angel of the North
2. E – English Breakfast
3. L – Loch Ness
The Top 3 coins most requested to swap.
Further releases expected…
Initially, a limited stock of 2.6 million A-Z 10p coins were released into circulation through the Post Office network to coincide with the release of the designs in March. It has been no surprise that these have been quickly snapped up by eagle-eyed change collectors.
However, don’t despair if you haven’t found any of the A-Z 10p coins yet. More are expected to be released into circulation as and when there is demand for more circulating 10p coins. This is something that’s managed between Treasury (and not the Royal Mint) and the large cash processors, including the Post Office, some banks, as well as private operators (find out more in our “When will I find and A to Z 10p in my change” blog).
In addition, there have been a number of limited releases, including “T” at Betty’s Tea Rooms, “F” in 20 of the UK’s top chippies and “B” at the Bond in Motion exhibition – as well as our own Change Checker Live 10p Lucky Dips, with more of our live events coming up on the 8th of September in Croydon and the 20th of October in Bristol.
Don’t worry, though, as soon as we hear any more news about more the A-Z 10p coins entering circulation, Change Checkers will be the very first to know.
In the meantime, you can view the full A-Z 10p Swap Index below for your guide as to which letters have proved most popular with collectors.
* Compiled from Change Checker App data and accurate as of 15/06/18.
Complete your A-Z 10p Collection
You can now complete your collection of all 26 A-Z of Great Britain 10p coins in Certified Early Strike quality.
Happy Birthday to the £2 coin!
Today marks 20 years since the bi-metallic £2 coins were released into circulation. So to celebrate our much loved £2 coins, we’ve taken a look back at the history of the £2 coin.
£2 coins have been in circulation since 1986, when a commemorative coin was issued to mark the XIII Commonwealth Games. Although these coins are legal tender, they were never common in everyday circulation.
Commonwealth Games £2 issued in 1986.
Following a review of the United Kingdom’s coinage, the decision was made that a general-circulation £2 coin was needed and so the new bi-metallic coin was introduced on the 15th June 1998.
This was the first time bi-metallic coinage was used in the UK.
The first ‘Technology’ £2 coins were designed by Bruce Rushin using concentric circles to represent mankind’s technological evolution from the Iron Age at the centre, to the cogs and wheels in the first ring representing the Industrial Revolution. The next ring symbolises the computer age with a pattern derived from a silicon chip and the final outer ring represents the age of the Internet with a connecting web of lines.
The ‘Technology’ coin was the first bi-metallic £2 and was designed by Bruce Rushin
The Queen with a Necklace £2
The first of these ‘Technology’ £2 coins were actually dated 1997 which earned the coin the nickname the ‘Queen with a Necklace’ £2 which has an enduring legacy in the collecting world. As the first bi-metallic £2 coins were issued in 1997, just prior to the Queen’s portrait change in 1998, this meant that the older portrait by Raphael Maklouf was only used for one year: 1997.
1997 ‘Queen with a necklace’ portrait designed by Raphael Maklouf.
His version featured Queen Elizabeth II wearing a necklace, which is how the nickname was derived and they were snapped up by collectors on release in the belief they would go on to become a future rarity. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and as it turned out, the coin had a mintage of nearly 14 million.
There are a few stories which crop up more often than others, and to help dispel some of the myths about the £2 coins you can find in your change, you can read our blog here.
This Technology design was used on £2 coins every year from 1997 until 2015 when it was replaced by Britannia. Britannia has a long standing history with British coinage having first appeared on a 1672 Farthing during the reign of Charles II. Antony Dufort’s modern interpretation of Britannia features on Britain’s highest denomination circulating coin, the £2, which was a very popular move from The Royal Mint.
What’s so special about the 2015 Britannia £2?
Antony Dufort’s modern interpretation of Britannia.
However, it wasn’t until 2016 when The Mint released the mintage figures for the 2015 coins that the real surprise was unveiled.
Only 650,000 of the 2015 date Britannia £2 coins had been stuck for circulation, making it one of the most scarce UK £2 coins ever! So scarce in fact that there were fewer of this coin than the England and the Scotland coins from the famous 2002 Commonwealth Games series.
The UK 2015 Britannia £2 Coin
Own one of the most-scarce circulating £2 coins ever issued
This first-year 2015 £2 Britannia is already one of the most-scarce circulating £2 coins ever issued with just 650,000 coins passing through banks and cash centres.
That places it third equal in the all-time low mintage charts!
Why you mustn’t pay £1,000 (or even £16,000) on ebay for the new Paddington 50p…
There’s been much excitement this week for Change Checkers following the accidental early release of a small number of new Paddington 50p coins.
Paddington at the Station BU 50p – Available to order from the 18th June.
The first coins were discovered late last week and quickly made their way onto collectors’ forums and ebay, with one attracting a “sold price” of £16,000 – prompting interest from a number of national newspapers.
Paddington 50p listed for £16,100. Credit: ebay
Of course, in reality, it’s unlikely that the transaction will ever complete at that price and certainly it’s not the time to be bidding on ebay for the new coin as The Royal Mint has confirmed the release date for the new Paddington 50p Coin as 18th June, with a second design, featuring Paddington outside Buckingham palace, following later in the year (also available to pre-order on Monday).
Paddington at the Palace BU 50p – Available to pre-order from the 18th June.
The new coin will be available in the official Royal Mint Presentation Pack, which usually sells for around £10 or in a Change Checker “Certified Brilliant Uncirculated” Presentation for £3.99 from www.westminstercollection.com
Coloured Silver 50p Collector’s Edition also confirmed…
Limited numbers of the Silver Proof Collector’s Edition of the Paddington 50p coin have also been seen in some Post Offices ahead of the 18th June release date.
Paddington at the Station Silver Proof – Available to order from the 18th June.
Again these will be properly available online from 18 June, with a confirmed Limited Edition Presentation of 60,000.