Posts Tagged ‘Olympic 50p’
The Top 5 50p Coin Series and why you should be collecting them
Since the 50p coin was first introduced back in 1969, we’ve seen it change size, weight and obverse monarch. It’s become the go-to denomination for some fantastic series, but which 50p series are the most popular?
Here are Change Checker’s top 5 50p coin series that you need in your collection.
5. Paddington 50ps
Starting with Britain’s best loved bear, Paddington. This 50p series began in 2018 with the issue of two brand new coins entering circulation. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Paddington’s first book appearance, these two coins show Paddington outside Buckingham Palace and at Paddington Station.
The series was so popular that in 2019, a further two Paddington 50ps were issued. This time showing the marmalade loving bear tucking into his favourite snack outside the Tower of London and tipping his hat at St Paul’s Cathedral.
These coins are some of the most popular issues in the last five years and with designs as charming as this, you can understand why.
4. Winnie the Pooh 50ps
Next up, we’ve got another adorable bear, Winnie the Pooh, who first appeared on a UK 50p in 2020. This was the first 50p in a nine coin series celebrating 95 years of fun filled adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood.
These coins feature famous characters from the stories, such as Owl, Kanga & Roo, Piglet and Pooh himself. Despite not entering circulation, these coins have been in high demand, with some limited edition presentations selling out at The Royal Mint within just hours of release. But don’t worry if you missed out, you can browse Change Checker’s remaining Winnie the Pooh stock here >>
3. Innovation in Science Series
Now, cast your mind back to 2019 when The Royal Mint released the first coin their Innovation in Science Series, the Stephen Hawking 50p. It was a record breaking sell out success, with worldwide interest and news articles across the globe about this new coin.
The Stephen Hawking 50p was so popular that even her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II commented that it was one of her favourite coin designs.
It kick started a hugely popular coin series which later brought us the Insulin 50p, Alan Turing 50p, and Rosalind Franklin 50p, to name just a few.
2. Beatrix Potter 50ps
In second place, we’ve got the incredibly popular Beatrix Potter 50ps. The first 50p, issued in 2016, featuring a charming design of Peter Rabbit inspired a whole new generation of collectors, appealing to children, their parents and grandparents.
The 2018 Flopsy Bunny and Peter Rabbit 50ps each had mintage figures of only 1.4 million, making them some of the rarest 50ps in circulation. The Beatrix Potter coins are some of the most collectable 50ps, so whichever ones you have in your collection, you should be very pleased.
1. 2012 Olympic 50ps
In the top spot, the most popular 50p series of all time is the 2012 Olympic 50ps. This series was issued to celebrate the games being hosted in London in 2012. All 29 of the 2012 Olympic 50ps entered circulation, and they’re some of the rarest 50ps out there.
The football 50p, which features a design of the hotly debated offside rule, has a circulating mintage of just 1.125 million. This makes it the second rarest 50p currently in circulation.
Five years ago, it was estimated that over 75% of the Olympic 50p coins were removed from circulation into private collections, meaning even less are now out there to find.
Are you lucky enough to have any of these popular 50ps in your collection? Let us know in the comments!
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Vote for your all-time favourite circulating QEII 50p
As the Pride 50p marks the last UK coin to enter circulation with QEII’s portrait on the obverse, we asked you to vote for your top circulating QEII 50p!
King Charles III’s new coinage will begin circulating from December – starting with the brand new Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p. So, it’s the perfect time to look back at an astonishing 70 years of top QEII 50p issues.
From the UK’s rarest 50p (Kew Gardens), to the biggest range of sporting coins (Olympic 50ps), it’s understandably a hard task to pick a favourite.
Your top circulating QEII 50p!
The results are in! Your top circulating QEII 50p is…
2017 Sir Isaac Newton 50p
Issued in 2017, this coin has a mintage of just 1,801,500, ranking it as less common on our Scarcity Index.
The reverse of this striking coin is based on elements of Proposition 11, in Book One of Newton’s Principia Mathematica.
P.S. did you know Newton is one of the most famous figures to ever hold the role of Master of the Mint?
2011 WWF 50p
Coming in very close second, is the WWF 50p.
The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the largest conservation organisation in the world.
They focus their work on saving endangered species and conserving the world’s most precious natural places.
In 2011, to mark their 50th anniversary, The Royal Mint issued this 50p coin.
It features 50 different icons to represent the variety of work they’re involved with.
2009 Kew Gardens 50p
In third spot, is the UK’s rarest 50p coin, the Kew Gardens.
Just 210,000 of these 50ps entered circulation, and over 13 years later, it’s still one of the most sought-after coins EVER.
It repeatedly takes top spot on our Scarcity Index, with collectors keen to add it to their collection.
However, it’s important to know the difference between a real, fake, or re-issued Kew Gardens.
Get the First King Charles III Effigy Collecting Pack
9.6 million King Charles 50ps are set to enter circulation. So, collectors stand a very good chance of getting their hands on this new release.
Once you’ve found this coin in your change you can add it to the pack, creating the perfect pair of KCIII first effigy coins!
Secure your Change Checker King Charles III First Effigy Collecting Pack here >>
So, get ready to start your hunt for the new 50p in your change!
Change all round! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we reveal the UK’s most sought-after circulation coins of the last three months! As we continue to go out and spend more cash, we’ve seen some BIG movers and shakers on our Scarcity Index.
There’s been movement across all of our indexes, with one coin climbing 16 spots and another dropping by 14!
You can use the updated A-Z 10p, 50p and £2 indexes below to discover how sought-after the coins in your collection really are.
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index.
A-Z 10p Scarcity Index
The Union Jack 10p has jumped up an incredible 16 places on our 10p index this quarter, placing it the highest we’ve ever seen it!
Some other big movers include the Villages and ‘X’ Marks the Spot 10p coins, both climbing 12 places each. The Jubilee 10p has dropped by 14 places, pushing it towards the bottom of our Index.
All of the lower mintage A-Z 10ps have remained strong at the top of the index; the Y, Z, and W 10ps all have a 2019 mintage of JUST 63,000 so it would take some doing to beat them to the top…
Regardless of where they feature in the above index, if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself very lucky. A maximum of only 304,000 of each design entered circulation!
Find out which A-Z 10p coins have the lowest mintages here >>
50p Scarcity Index
There’s been a lot of movement at the top of our 50p Index, with each Olympic 50p have been shaken up! The Table Tennis 50p has climbed by seven spots, and Gymnastics climbing an impressive five spots too.
In the middle of our Index, we’ve seen a big move for Taekwondo, dropping eight places. Equally, the Commonwealth Games 50p has climbed by six places, pushing it further into the middle of our Index.
The 2016 Peter Rabbit 50p has climbed by an incredible 13 places, which is the biggest move we’ve seen for this coin since our Index started. The Libraries 50p has also dropped by 13 places, pushing it down to the bottom of our Index. These two coins are definitely worth watching over our coming Index updates.
£2 Scarcity Index
This £2 Index is full of movers and shakers, as only 8 coins have stayed in the same spot from last quarter’s update!
Some key movers at the top of the Index, include the Commonwealth Games Wales £2, which has previously sat comfortably in the top five. It’s been bumped down three places, with the 2015 First World War (Navy) coin jumping up 4 spots to position itself just below the other Commonwealth Games and Olympic £2 coins.
Other notable moves include the Florence Nightingale and Brunel – Paddington Station coins, which have climbed seven and five spots respectfully.
Interestingly, the Britannia £2 has also climbed by five places, pushing it closer to the top of the Index. This is definitely one to watch over the coming updates!
How your 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 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 200 times face value on eBay.
You can use the 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
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.
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