Posts Tagged ‘Change Checker’
STOP: the five £1 coins you must NOT cash in!
*** 2020 UPDATE ***
Three years since the old round pound coins were demonetised and replaced by the 12 sided £1, it’s been revealed that 122 million of these old coins still have not been returned to The Royal Mint.
Roughly 1.58 billion have found their way back to the Mint, but in addition to this, there have been at least 1.5 billion counterfeit round pounds handed in.
The Royal Mint said these fakes “could not be readily distinguished from the genuine coin, which is why a new coin was introduced”.
But, of the 122 million genuine round pounds still in circulation, which ones should you be looking out for?
In 2017, the Round £1 coins were demonetised and replaced by the new 12 sided coins we see today. The public were encouraged to spend or return their coins to the banks, but did you know that not all of these coins made it back to The Royal Mint?
Whilst these old coins are no longer legal tender, they can still be returned to the bank and deposited into you account, however there’s a few coins you definitely shouldn’t be cashing in if you’re lucky enough to find one (tip: try looking down the back of the sofa, in coat pockets or old supermarket bags for those lost and forgotten coins!).
Here are the ones to look out for:
Scotland: Edinburgh City
The Edinburgh City £1 Coin
The Edinburgh City £1 coin was released in 2011 with a mintage of just 935,000, making it the lowest Round Pound by 680,000!
Taking this into account, there’s no real surprise that this coin sits top of our Scarcity Index with a perfect score of 100.
Such is the rarity, only 17% of Change Checker users list having this coin in their collection.
This coin currently sells for between £7-£12.
Wales: Cardiff City
The Cardiff City £1 Coin
Another of the capital cities series, the Cardiff City £1 coin is definitely one to keep.
Released in 2011, this coin has a mintage of just 1,615,000 and is in 2nd position in our Scarcity Index with a very high score of 88.
This coin depicts the circular Coat of Arms of Cardiff as the principal focus to represent Wales.
This coin is worth between £3-£5.
England: London City
The London City £1 Coin
The 3rd coin from the capital cities series that you should hold on to is the London City £1 coin. Interestingly, the Belfast City coin does not make our list.
Released in 2010, this coin has a mintage of 2,635,000, much higher than Edinburgh and Cardiff but low in comparison to other £1 coins.
London City scores an impressive 77/100 in our Scarcity Index.
This coin can sell for between £3-£6.
Scotland: Thistle and Bluebell
Scotland: Thistle and Bluebell £1 coin
The Thistle and Bluebell £1 coin was released in 2014 as part of the floral emblems series.
It has a mintage figure of 5,185,000 and scores a 55 on our Scarcity Index, coming in 4th place.
This coin features a thistle alongside a bluebell to represent Scotland.
This is worth between £2-£5.
UK: Crowned Shield
UK: Crowned Shield £1 coin
The UK Crowned Shield £1 coin was released way back in 1988, only 5 years after the Round £1 came into circulation.
Although it has a relatively low mintage figure of 7,118,825, this coin makes the list due to some interesting Change Checker App data.
It scores a 51 in our Scarcity Index but less than 1/4 of Change Checker users list having this coin in their collection and swap requests outnumber swap listings by 6 to 1!
This coin will sell for between £3-£7.50.
It’s worth noting that our valuations are based on coins that have recently sold on auction sites. The value of a coin depends on a number of factors including the coin’s condition.
Own the 2017 Round £1 Collecting Pack
Secure your exclusive £1 Collector Pack today which includes Britain’s last round pound as well as an original £1 Banknote. Click here to order yours >>
Or take a look at the old round £1 coins and complete your collection here >>
Here’s where you can find the new Jane Austen Polymer £10 note…
LEEDS
HSBC: 33 Park Row, LS1 1LD
YORKSHIRE BANK: 94-96 Briggate, LS1 6NP
CARDTRONICS: Rawdon Newsagents, 11 Harrogate Road, LS19 6HW
LIVERPOOL
SANTANDER: 45 Lord Street, L2 6PB
NEWCASTLE
SANTANDER: 112-118 Northumberland Street, NE1 7DG
BIRMINGHAM
HSBC: 130 New Street, B2 4JU
NATWEST: Grand Central, B2 4BF
LLOYDS: 36-38 New Street, B2 4EG
BARCLAYS: 79-84 High Street, B4 7TE
MANCHESTER
NOTE MACHINE: Lowry Outlet Mall, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AP
NATWEST: 1 Spinningfields, M3 3AP
BARCLAYS: 17 St Ann’s Square, M2 7PW
LONDON
NOTE MACHINE: Barry’s Food and Wine, 149 Hoxton Street, N1 6PJ
SANTANDER: 48-54 Moorgate, EC2R 6EJ & 164-167 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7JE & 2 Triton Square, Regents Place, NW1 3AN
POST OFFICE: 26/28 The Broadway, E15 4QS
BARCLAYS: 46-48 Regent Street, Piccadilly, W18 5RA
HSBC: 165 Fleet Street, EC4A 2DY
NATIONWIDE: 1 Threadneedle Street, EC2r 8BP
NATWEST: 10 Southwark Street, SE1 1TJ
LLOYDS: 33 Old Broad Street, EC2N 1HZ
BASINGSTOKE
NATWEST: 3 London Street, RG21 7NS
WINCHESTER
SANTANDER: 119 High Street, SO23 9AS
NATWEST: 105 High Street, SO23 9AW
BATH
NOTE MACHINE : Eurochange Bath, 6 Southgate Street
HSBC: 45 Milsom Street, BA1 1DU
NATWEST: 15-17 High Street, BA1 5AH
CARDIFF
LLOYDS: 31 Queens Street, CF10 2AG
SWINDON
NATIONWIDE: Nationwide House, Pipers Way, SN3 1TX
How does it feel to design the UK’s newest circulation coin? I caught up with Aaron West to find out.
Aaron West is part of the design team for The Royal Mint and is responsible for designing the latest coin released into circulation, the Sir Isaac Newton 50p.
Aaron West, a designer for The Royal Mint, signing the new Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin pack
This is the second circulation coin designed by Aaron, the first being the very popular Great Fire of London £2.
The two UK circulation coins Aaron has designed – The Sir Isaac Newton 50p and The Great Fire of London £2
I wanted to find out what makes a coin designer tick and Aaron kindly answered some of my questions:
How long have you been designing coins for The Royal Mint and how many have you designed to date?
I have been designing coins for over four years now. I have designed many coins but have been fortunate to win two design competitions.
How did you become a coin designer for The Royal Mint?
I joined The Royal Mint in June 2011. I applied for a maternity cover position and then was given a permanent position. I have been working as a designer for over seven years.
Which coins have you designed for The Royal Mint?
I have official coins designs for a £2 coin, The Great Fire of London and for a 50 pence piece, Sir Isaac Newton.
Aaron sketching his initial Sir Isaac Newton 50p design ideas. (Image: The Royal Mint)
Can you tell me briefly the process involved when designing a coin?
There is no specific process involved when designing a coin. It depends on the subject. For example, The Great Fire of London, I broke it down to three elements. Firstly I concentrated on the bottom of the design (the river and boats) then I moved onto the middle part of the design (buildings / skyline). The third / top part of the design (the smoke) was the most difficult part. I try to keep all of my designs simple because a lot of detail will not be clear on a small diameter.
Approximately how long does it take to design one coin?
Again, it all depends on the subject. I try to spend a few days on research before I start my design concepts. If the subject is complex then I’ll spend more time on research. It takes me approximately an hour for each design (rough sketch).
These sketches show the stages of the design process for the Great Fire of London £2 (Image: The Royal Mint)
What is the most challenging aspect when designing a coin?
The most challenging aspect when designing a coin is trying to fit everything in a small area. Coins are very small so to make a design stand out is very challenging.
How do you feel when you receive a coin that you’ve designed in your change?
Unfortunately, I have yet to find any of my designs in my pocket change but I am still looking. Some of my friends and family have found them and messaged me some pictures which was very thoughtful.
I am pleased that people are looking for them which makes me very proud. I am also very proud to a part of history.
The Isaac Newton 50p coin has a very intricate design for a small area
Finally, other than one of your own (obviously!) what is your favourite coin design and why?
My favourite coin design would have to be the Jane Austen £2 coin. I like the portrait which is featured in the centre but I particularly like the inner silver edge. The inner silver edge is a picture frame which works very well. I also like the stripes which on the design, they stand out.
2017 UK Isaac Newton CERTIFIED BU 50p
Own the brand new Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin in CERTIFIED Brilliant Uncirculated condition for just £3.99 (plus p+p).