Posts Tagged ‘£2’
Canada has just released the world’s first glow-in-the-dark coin into circulation…
On the 1st July 2017, Canada turned 150. To celebrate, The Royal Canadian Mint released a once-in-a-life-time set of coins highlighting this milestone event in Canadian history.
And one of them glows in the dark!
The two-dollar coin, (or toonie), celebrates the wonders of Canada with an evocative design featuring the Northern Lights and it even glows in the dark thanks to special ink that contains luminescent material.
The glow-in-the-dark coin that every Canadian Change Checker wants!
The specially designed two-dollar coin, which was issued to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada, features two people paddling in a canoe as the northern lights dance high above – which the Cree peoples called “the dance of the spirits”.
When the coin is put in the dark, the aurora borealis glows softly, thanks to a new ink formulation that contains luminescent material.
Just 3 million of these coins were released into general circulation in Canada, meaning just one in ten Canadians were able to find one in their change.
There is no doubt that these coins would create a collecting frenzy if a similar event like this was to happen in the UK.
5 brand new coins have been struck by The Royal Canadian Mint to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada.
In fact, each and every one of these special Royal Canadian Mint releases have become a collector’s item and going by previous issues, 25 cents and $2 coins are extremely difficult to get hold of.
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
What the people of Bath think of the new Jane Austen £2 Coin
To mark the new Jane Austen £2 coin being released to collectors as an individual coin, Yasmin and I went to Bath, home to Jane Austen, to see what people of Bath think of the new coin.
And they loved it. Watch their responses below…
The coin, designed by Dominique Evans, features a silhouette of Austen and the dates 1817-2017 both overlapped with Jane’s signature. The gold outer features regency stripes, synonymous with the era in which she wrote her novels.
Jane Austen is one of the world’s best loved novelists and over the years her books have grown into a global phenomenon. Her novels have been translated into more than 40 languages with dozens of popular film and television adaptions making her widely recognised and adored.
2017 Jane Austen Brilliant Uncirculated £2 Coin
Recent £2 coin issues ranked amongst the most sought after by new Scarcity Index
Change Checker has released the first-ever scarcity index for £2 circulating coins. Following the recently published indexes for the Round £1 Coin and 50p Coin, the Scarcity Index tracks which £2 coins are the most scarce and collectable, using a unique combination of mintage, collecting and swap data to give the most up-to-date picture of today’s £2 collecting market.
Recent Issues are a hit with collectors
Recent releases have proved a hit with collectors
Whilst all the mintage information is still not available for these issues, intense swap demand and limited numbers of collectors who list the coins in their collections, suggest they may number amongst some of the more sought after issues for years to come– surely a reflection of the UK public’s ever increasing interest in new coin issues.
Commonwealth Games tops the charts
The four Commonwealth Games £2 coins top the Scarcity index
However, it’s the 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 Coin that tops the new Scarcity Index. Whilst almost 2,500,000 £2 coins were issued for the Games, it is only the most eagle-eyed collectors who fully understand the reason for their scarcity.
That’s because there is not just one Commonwealth Games £2 coin but in fact four different designs – only identified by a hardly distinguishable cameo design represented each of the UK’s constituent nations, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England.
The result is that rather than 2,500,000 coins being issued, the mintages range between 485,500 and 771,500, helping to cement the coins’ position at the top of £2 Scarcity Index.
How the 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 recent 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 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2 coin commands a premium of 15 to 20 times face value of eBay.
As for the more recent issues that have made the top 10, it is perhaps too early to tell. But what is clear, is that more and more of the British public are checking their change in the hope of finding interesting or rare coins in their pocket – perhaps even the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2 coin – you just have to be sharp-eyed.
What about £1 and 50p 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. You can also visit the Change Checker 50p Scarcity Index, which will continue to be updated quarterly.
