Posts Tagged ‘Coin collection’
Step into Narnia and discover The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 50p
Cast your mind back to childhood, a time of bedtime stories and wild imaginations…
A story that most of us vividly remember is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the inspiration behind the latest UK 50p.
An introduction to children’s fantasy literature
First published in 1950, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first novel in The Chronicles of Narnia collection, and is perhaps the best known book by author C. S. Lewis. For many, it was an introduction to the fantasy literature genre, with characters such as Mr Tumnus and Aslan holding a special place in our memories.
Credit: Pixabay, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
A magical design
It’s actually Mr Tumnus who features on this brand new UK 50p, alongside Lucy Pevensie who can be seen walking arm in arm through a snowy Narnia together.
Pauline Baynes’ design, which is based on illustrations from the original publication, is the perfect tribute to this classic tale of fantasy fiction. If you have fond memories of the story, or if you just can’t resist newly issued UK coins, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 50p would make an excellent addition to collection.
Secure yours here for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>
Previous UK coins based on literature
Beatrix Potter 50ps
The Beatrix Potter 50ps are perhaps some of the most popular 50p coins amongst collectors. For many collectors, these are the coins that inspired them to start the hobby, especially younger collectors.
The Beatrix Potter 50p series started in 2016 with the Beatrix Potter 50p, issued to mark 150 years since the birth of the legendary author. The series continued over the next 4 years, with 50ps featuring beloved characters from the famous tales, such as Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Mr Jeremy Fisher and Flopsy Bunny. And of course, Peter Rabbit himself made an appearance in the series, not once, but four times!
Winnie the Pooh 50ps
Another literary favourite, Winnie the Pooh, featured on a series of 50p coins issued between 2020 and 2022. Characters from the Hundred Acre Wood such as Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore joined Winnie the Pooh himself in this 9 coin series, which proved incredibly popular with both new and seasoned collectors.
All silver proof versions of the 2020 Winnie the Pooh 50p sold out in less than 12 hours, and the 2022 Eeyore 50p sold out in a matter of hours at The Royal Mint.
And the list goes on, as literary characters such as the Gruffalo, the Snowman, Paddington Bear and even authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens have also featured on our UK coins – amongst some of the favourite releases for many collectors.
Don’t miss out!
So, when you consider the popularity of other UK coins that have been based on children’s literature, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 50p is set to be highly sought after.
The 2p drought returns…2022 Mintage Figures REVEALED!
One of the biggest numismatic updates of the year comes when the latest mintage figures are announced, and The Royal Mint have just revealed the mintages of all coins that entered circulation in 2022! Each year, when this information is released, we update our Change Checker Mintage charts to see where new circulating coins rank.
We saw millions of almost every denomination enter circulation in 2022, however there was one denomination that you won’t find with a 2022 date in your change…read on to find out more.
50p Mintage Figures
Three commemorative 50p designs entered circulation in 2022, as well as the definitive Royal Shield 50p design. It was a year of ‘firsts’ as the 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p was the first ever royal 50p to be issued and the Queen Elizabeth Memorial 50p was the first ever UK coin issued bearing King Charles III on the obverse.
With the Queen Elizabeth Memorial 50p marking a new era of coinage featuring the King, many collectors old and new were excited to find it in their change. We opened our collector map to track where they were popping up across the country, and it turned out the place most people found one was Newcastle!
Find out where the rest were found >>
Despite these new coins being extremely sought after amongst collectors, the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p remains at the top of our chart, with a circulating mintage of only 210,000!
£2 Mintage Figures
After 2016, there was a 4 year period where no new £2 coins, either commemorative or definitive, entered circulation, however this changed in 2021 when 6,045,000 Britannia £2 coins were released into circulation.
The newly released figures show that in 2022, 4,030,000 Britannia £2s entered circulation, and although the amount is considerably lower than the previous year, it is indicative that there is a demand for £2 coins.
We still haven’t seen any new commemorative £2 coin designs enter circulation since 2016, however, when this does happen next, it’ll be the first to feature the King on the obverse – another collecting ‘first’!
2022 Definitives
The mintage figures for 2022 dated definitive coins were also revealed…
- Nations of the Crown £1: 7,735,000
- Royal Shield 20p: 42,875,000
- Royal Shield 10p: 38,000,000
- Royal Shield 5p: 42,800,000
- Royal Shield 2p: 0
- Royal Shield 1p: 30,000,000
As mentioned above, you might notice something odd about one of the denominations’ mintage figure – the Royal Shield 2p doesn’t have one! But this isn’t the first time that the 2 pence piece has had a mintage figure of zero.
No 2p coins entered circulation in 2018, 2019 or 2020, however it made a comeback in 2021 with a whopping 117,700,000 entering circulation. Despite its resurgence in 2021, it seems that the 2p drought could be returning – hopefully not for 3 years this time!
It’s always exciting when new mintage figures are revealed and you realise just how rare the change in your pocket really is!
Have you been lucky enough to find any 2022 dated coins in your change? Let us know in the comments!
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
Kick off the 2023 France Rugby World Cup with this 2 Euro coin!
This year, for the first time ever, the Rugby World Cup will take place entirely in France. To celebrate the most prestigious rugby tournament in the world, Monnaie De Paris have commissioned the release of a BRAND NEW 2 Euro coin!
A winning design
The obverse design features a rugby player clutching the ball, sprinting across the globe under a starry sky. The official Rugby World Cup France 2023 logo also features on the coin. The reverse bears the 2 Euro denomination and the outline of the European continent.
Own a piece of the Rugby World Cup
Since the creation of the first tournament in 1987, the Rugby World Cup has served as the pinnacle of sporting excellence. As the most prestigious rugby competition in the world, to win this competition is considered the ultimate summit in rugby.
What’s more, the country that emerges triumphant not only earns the coveted title, but also etches its name in sporting history.
Therefore, it’s only fitting that a brand new 2 Euro coin is issued to pay tribute to this iconic and vastly historic sporting event.
We only have a small allocation available, so these coins won’t be around for long. Secure yours here today >>
Other popular sporting coins
Both new and seasoned Change Checkers will recognise the vast potential held within this coin.
Sporting coins prove time and again to be hugely popular amongst collectors, from the 2011 Olympic 50ps to newer issues such as the 2023 Manx Grand Prix £2.
The Olympic 50ps were issued in 2011 to commemorate the Olympic Games being held in London, with each 50p in the 29-coin series representing a different sport.
Still today, 12 years later, the Olympic 50ps rank as some of the most sought-after coins on our Scarcity Index.
We’ve previously seen coins issued to celebrate specific sports such as the 2022 UK FA Cup £2 for football and the 1999 UK Rugby World Cup £2 which was issued to commemorate the tournament being hosted by the UK – so it’s not the first time that the sport has been celebrated on a coin!
A must-have for any sports enthusiast
Click here to secure your 2023 France Rugby World Cup 2 Euro for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>