Posts Tagged ‘Coin collection’
25 Years of the Bi-Metallic £2! Vote for your favourite design…
After a review of the United Kingdom coinage in 1994, it emerged that there was a requirement for a £2 coin to enter general circulation.
After extensive consultation, it was decided this would be a bi-colour coin, making it easily distinguishable from the other coins in circulation.
Originally, the intention was to issue the £2 coin in November 1997. However, concerns emerged from the vending industry over their size. The £2 coin was eventually launched on 15 June 1998, with millions of the coin released into circulation.
Since then we’ve seen over 35 different designs enter circulation!
And in 2022, the bi-metallic £2 coin celebrates its 25th birthday!
£2 coin vote – winning design revealed!
We asked you to vote for your favourite bi-metallic £2 coin design and the results are in!
Our winning coin design is the Great Fire of London £2, taking an impressive 17% of all votes! This coin was issued in 2016 to mark the 350th anniversary of one of the most well-known disasters to hit London.
However, three years after this coin was issued into circulation, it was revealed that its mintage figure was mistakenly listed and the coin is in fact rarer than once thought…
The previous figure of 5,135,000 meant this coin was fairly common but the updated figure of 1,625,000, makes this coin one of the rarest £2 coins in circulation!
Did your favourite coin design make the top 5? Let us know in the comments below!
Never miss a UK coin issue!
The 2022 UK Annual Coins are HERE!
Each year, collectors eagerly anticipate the arrival of the The Royal Mint’s Annual Set.
These coins commemorate some of the key anniversaries of the year ahead and it means we get treated to FIVE brand new coin designs!
With some momentous anniversaries coming up this year, the issues in the 2022 Annual Set are some of the MOST poignant yet.
So, let’s kick off the year with the coins we’ve all been waiting for, the 2022 Annual Set.
Platinum Jubilee 50p
Kicking things off with a UK FIRST, is the brand new 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the United Kingdom’s longest reigning monarch, with an incredible 70 years of service to the crown.
In tribute to this record-breaking achievement, The Royal Mint have issued the UK’s very first royal 50p!
Designed by Osborne Ross, the coin features a slick reverse design that shows the number 70, the royal cypher and the years that span her reign so far.
Her Majesty’s fifth portrait, by Jody Clark, also features on the obverse of this coin.
What an incredible anniversary for Her Majesty to be celebrating this year and I’m sure you’ll agree that this stunning 50p is a wonderful tribute to her.
The UK’s VERY FIRST Royal 50p will be issued individually in just two days’ time, on the 6th January. This version will feature a special obverse design not found in the Annual Set… Stay tuned to find out more!
Commonwealth Games 50p
The Commonwealth Games was first held in 1930 and with the exception of wartime (1942 and 1946) has taken place every four years since then!
In the entire 92-year history, 2022 marks only the third time that England has played host to the games! So to mark the occasion, The Royal Mint has issued this brand new 50p.
Featuring a design by Royal Mint designer Natasha Preece, this 50p represents the essence of Birmingham 2022 with a striking geometric design.
We think it’s the perfect tribute to Birmingham hosting the games for the very first time and a great way to wish all of the athletes good luck.
Alexander Graham Bell £2
Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist, and engineer who patented the first practical telephone.
In the 100th anniversary year since his passing, The Royal Mint have issued this brand new £2 coin.
The coin features a design showing the dial of a push-button phone, alongside the words ‘pioneer of the telephone’ inscribed into the buttons.
It’s hard to image a life without our phones, but before Bell’s work, it was a complete unknown.
It was back in 1871 that Bell first started work on his harmonic telegraph, which allowed multiple messages to be transmitted over a wire at the same time.
And in 1876, he made his very first telephone call to Thomas Watson and was then granted his telephone patent.
The design of this coin perfectly celebrates all of Bell’s achievements in making real-time long-distance communication possible.
Dame Vera Lynn £2
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 commemorates her on a brand new £2 coin.
Designed by The Royal Mint design team, this £2 features a detailed portrait of Dame Vera Lynn as she appeared during the height of her fame.
The popularity of her songs has carried across generations. In 2020, her songs still spoke to the nation with a similar level of emotion as they did in 1940 – a testament to her charm, skill, and beautiful voice.
Platinum Jubilee £5
In this very special anniversary year for Her Majesty, we have been treated to not one but TWO Platinum Jubilee coins.
This £5, designed by John Bergdahl features a stunning reverse design. The royal mantle appears as a surround, as it was used on the coinage of William IV!
Inheriting the throne at the age of just 25, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has remained a national constant as head of state since 6 February 1952.
Since then, the nation has watched her grow from a young queen to the much-loved monarch that she is today.
The dates 1952-2022 feature on the reverse design, in a poignant tribute to her incredible 70 years of service to the crown.
I’m sure you’ll agree that this year’s Annual Coin Set is the most impressive to date.
With some incredible anniversaries and events coming up this year, there’s no doubt these coins will be in high demand with collectors.
Don’t forget, the UK’s VERY FIRST Royal 50p will be issued individually in just two days’ time (6th January) – stay tuned to find out more!
Secure the most sought-after Annual Set to date!
To ensure you don’t miss out on adding all FIVE coins for your collection for JUST £40.00 (+p&p), simply click here >>
Each coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging, housed in a Display Page ready to slot into your Change Checker Album.
2021 Change Checker Awards NOW OPEN!
We’re delighted to announce the 2021 Change Checker Awards in association with All About Coins, where we’ll be celebrating the very best of the change collecting world from 2021!
We’re looking for the 2021 Change Checker of the Year and the 2021 Junior Change Checker of the year and we need your help!
Do you know somebody who deserves to be crowned ‘Change Checker of the year’? If so, we’d love to hear why.
Has someone you know completed an epic collection? Do you know somebody who’s gone above and beyond to help other Change Checkers complete their collections? Or have you been introduced to the world of change collecting by another Change Checker?
If you know someone who has been the perfect Change Checker, we want to hear from you.
*** UPDATE ***
Submissions for Change Checker and Junior Change Checker of the Year have now closed.
All entries will be judged by our panel and the results announced on Monday 13th December. Please see terms and conditions.
The victorious Change Checker and Junior Change Checker of the year will each win an exclusive Change Checker trophy and a bundle of goodies worth more than £50, including a year’s subscription to Coin Collector magazine!
- Coin Story of the Year 2021 – chosen by our panel.
- UK Coin Design of the Year 2021 – judged by you.
UK Coin Design of the Year 2021
We’ve been asking you to vote for your favourite 50p, £2, and £5 coin design of the year! The votes are now closed. Stay tuned to find out which Coin Design came out on top on Monday 13th December.
The winners for all Change Checker Award categories will be announced on the 13th December.
Good Luck!
Terms and Conditions
- The winners will receive an exclusive Change Checker trophy and a bundle of goodies, as well as a year’s subscription to Coin Collector magazine. There is no cash alternative.
- Participants agree to meet reasonable requests to assist publicity.
- The Change Checker Awards 2021 are promoted by The Westminster Collection / Change Checker, trading divisions of 288 Group Ltd.
- Employees of 288 Group and their families are not eligible to enter.
- The judges’ decision will be final and no explanation, correspondence or discussion will be offered or entered into before or following the judges’ decision.
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