Posts Tagged ‘Coins’
2018’s most popular RAF £2 revealed!
The votes are in and you have chosen your favourite 2018 RAF £2 coin!
Following the reveal of the five brand new £2 coins issued by The Royal Mint this year to commemorate the Centenary of the Royal Air Force, we asked Change Checkers to vote for their favourite design on our previous blog introducing the new coins
Each stunning design features an iconic RAF aircraft, from the modern F35 Lightning to the famous Spitfire, with the first coin in the series depicting the badge of the RAF to celebrate the Royal Air Force as a whole.
Our poll has now closed, and I do have to say that the results were very close! But we can now reveal that the most popular RAF £2 coin design has been chosen and first place goes to the magnificent Sea King, receiving just over 28% of your votes.
1. Sea King
This is the fourth coin in the RAF series and although it’s available to pre-order now, it will be officially released in August for those of you looking to add the Sea King £2 to your collection.
Known as the ‘angel on our shoulders’, the Sea King helicopter acted exclusively in a search and rescue role from 1978, with the final mission taking place on the 4th of October 2015.
In 2012, Prince William himself flew a Sea King during a training exercise which ended in a rescue mission when two girls were swept out to sea in a riptide.
2. Spitfire
Coming in a very close second is one of the most famous planes ever built, the Supermarine Spitfire.
This is the second coin in the series and is available now to add to your collection. The coin beautifully depicts the iconic image of the Spitfire, designed by Reginald Mitchell.
First flying in 1936, this short range interceptor aircraft was known as the backbone of the RAF Fighter Command and was much loved amongst its pilots.
3. Vulcan
In third place is the legendary Vulcan bomber, the third coin in the RAF series, which is also available now to add to your collection.
This coin captures the instantly recognisable delta wing of the awesome Vulcan in flight, an exhilarating sight to behold.
Unmatched by any other bomber from the jet-age, this aircraft truly was the epitome of power during its service from 1956 until 1984.
4. Badge
Voted in fourth place is the RAF badge coin, the first coin in the series which has been available to order since the start of the year.
Royal Mint designer, Rhys Morgan created this coin based upon the badge which was originally used at the first Air Council meeting in 1918 and then registered in the 1920s with the Royal College of Arms.
Capturing the spirit of the RAF as a whole, this design symbolises the RAF’s resilience over the past century.
5. Lightning F35
Last, but by no means least, is the Lightning or F35 fighter jet, the fifth coin in the series. This coin can be pre-ordered now and will be officially released in September.
The F35 is the RAF’s newest aircraft which operates alongside the Typhoon, creating a potent mix of stealth and power.
Reviving Britain’s sea-bourne operations, these supersonic planes are set to be in service by December this year.
Overall, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who voted in our poll and helped us determine the most popular RAF £2 coin.
I think the design of the Sea King £2 perfectly captures the dedication of the RAF and this superb machine to ensure the safety of the people of the UK, and perhaps this is the reason why it has been voted as your favourite.
Pre order 2018’s most popular RAF £2 coin!
You can now pre-order the RAF Sea King £2 in certified Brilliant Uncirculated quality, protectively encapsulated to preserve its quality for generations to come.
UPDATED: The results of our latest Scarcity Index are in…
The latest Change Checker Scarcity Index update of 2018 is here and the results are in…
The 50p and £2 Scarcity Indexes have been compiled using data from the second quarter of the year.
As per our previous quarter, you can now use our new feature to help you track the performance of your coins. The arrows signify how many places, up or down, a coin has moved on the Scarcity Index; any coins with a yellow star are making their first appearance after having been released into circulation.
50p Scarcity Index
Not surprisingly, Kew Gardens still remains the most scarce UK 50p coin with a mintage figure of just 210,000. There has been a lot of movement this quarter, with significant improvements in the performance of Sir Isaac Newton, Rowing and Canoeing.
On the other hand, both Girl Guides and Tom Kitten have seen less interest, with both coins moving 9 points down the Index.
Our top and bottom 6 coins seem to remain consistent for now, although there is always the potential for change as new coins enter circulation, and we’ve had a number of new releases recently that could mix things in up…
£2 Scarcity Index
Although the 2017 WW1 Aviation and Jane Austen £2 coins are yet to enter circulation, we’ve still seen some movement amongst the current coins in our Scarcity Index.
The ever popular Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2 regains its place at the top after a briefly being replaced by Wales. Another strong improvement goes to Trinity House, which has also moved up the Index 4 places.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Rugby World Cup and Florence Nightingale coins have moved down the Index this quarter, with Florence Nightingale dropping an impressive 8 places. This is due in part to a lack of Change Checkers requesting to swap these coins, however we wouldn’t be surprised to see these coins creeping up the Index in the next quarter.
What about the A to Z 10p coins?
Unfortunately, at present, there is simply not enough data to accurately compile a full A to Z 10p Scarcity Index. However, we have put together a ‘Swap Index’ using data from the Change Checker App which we feel is the most accurate way currently to determine which A-Z 10ps are most sought after.
Our top two coins (A for Angel of the North and E for English Breakfast) are very clearly the most sought after, with L for Loch Ness Monster coming in third. Speculation as to why people might be collecting certain designs is three pronged: 1) Perhaps people are looking for A to start their collection at the beginning of the alphabet. 2) They could be looking for coins that match their initials. 3) People might be collecting the coins based on which design/theme is their favourite.
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.
As more coins enter circulation and are found, we will begin to see more data emerge and a full Index for these coins will be compiled.
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 Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 160 times face value on eBay.
What about £1 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.
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 makes the 2017 Isle of Man £5 so interesting?
Last year, the coins of the Isle of Man made the headlines. Not only did all their circulation coins have a total redesign, the first in 13 years, they also announced that they would continue to issue ’round pound’ coins rather than opting to use the paper £1 note like both Jersey and Guernsey did.
The coins feature a new effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, created by designer and sculptor Jody Clark, which will also be used on all coins from Crown dependencies and Commonwealth countries. The outer description includes the Queen’s full title, country of issue and year of issue.
New effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The iconic design of the 2017 Isle of Man £5 coin features the Triskelion (three armoured legs) which is arguably the most known symbol of the island and is included in both the coat of arms and the flag of the Isle of Man.
But while this fitting Triskelion design features on the reverse and the new effigy of Her Majesty the Queen features on the obverse, that’s not what makes this coin so interesting…
You may or may not know this about the Isle of Man…
The Isle of Man is in fact the only Crown dependency country that circulates their £5 coins, meaning you could find this coin in your change… and spend it!
But if you’re ever lucky enough to find one in your change I’m sure you won’t want to spend it, as it’s certain to have one of the lowest mintages for any British Isles circulation coin.
A further difference between this coin and the traditional UK commemorative £5 is the size…
Isle of Man £5 compared to UK £5
The IOM £5 coin is just over 6mm smaller in size at 32mm (UK £5s measure 38.61mm) and weighs in at just 11.7g (compared to 28.28g for a UK £5) so is reasonably light to carry around in your pocket or purse.
So tell us… would you spend this £5 coin if you found it on the Isle of Man?
Own the ONLY British Isles circulating £5 coin
The Isle of Man is the only part of the British Isles to use a genuinely circulating £5 Coin. Become one of the few people to own this coin by securing one for your collection today >>