Posts Tagged ‘Rare coin’
When is a Penny not a Penny?
Coins from British territories have a habit of making an unexpected appearance in our change.
Finding one in your change is an annoyance on one hand as the coins are not legal tender in the UK. On the other hand, from a collecting point of view, new and interesting designs are always a bonus!
The Bailiwick of Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands and is situated off the coast of Normandy, France. As a British Crown dependency, Pound Sterling is the official currency of the island. However, Jersey started issuing the Jersey Pound in 1841 not as a separate currency, but as an issue of banknotes and coins by the State of Jersey.
Jersey has a population of just over 100,000 and as with all coins from the British Isles, mintage figures are always expected to be quite low.
When is a Penny not a Penny?
When it’s 1/12 of a Shilling. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the pound was divided into twenty shillings or 240 pennies. So before decimalisation in 1971, 1/12 of a Shilling would have amounted to 1 Penny.
The Penny by another name…
During Queen Elizabeth ΙΙ’s reign, Jersey issued three commemorative 1/12th shilling coins – this penny marks the 900th anniversary of the Norman Conquest and is the last bronze 1/12th of a shilling issued during the Old Elizabeth ΙΙ coinage, 1954-1966.
Before decimalisation, Jersey, as a British Crown Dependency, was required to use the crowned effigy of the Queen on the obverse of its coins. This coin features Cecil Thomas’ famous crowned portrait of Her Majesty the Queen with the simple legend ‘QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND’.
The reverse, designed by Georgie Edward Kruger Gray, features the Jersey Coat of Arms containing three lions and the dates ‘1066’ and ‘1966’ divided either side of the shield. The Jersey Coat of Arms derives from the seal granted to the island by King Edward Ι in 1279.
As the last 1/12th of a shilling coin issued during the Old Elizabeth ΙΙ coinage this 1/12th shilling has become a coveted collector’s item.
Add some depth to your coin collection
Click here to own a Jersey 1/12th of a Shilling Coin
The Shakespeare £2 coins have been released into circulation…
***MINTAGE FIGURE UPDATE***
In 2019 it was revealed that the previous mintage figures of two of the Shakespeare £2 coins weren’t correct..
Below are the correct mintage figures for all three of the 2016 Shakespeare £2 coins:
- Shakespeare Histories: 5,655,000
- Shakespeare Tragedies: 4,615,000
- Shakespeare Comedies: 4,355,000
It’s been confirmed that the Shakespeare £2 coins have been released into circulation, and this is your chance to find one… or all three!
After the exciting news last month that the Peter Rabbit 50ps had been released into circulation in certain parts of England, it seems to be happening again.
Getting your hands on a brand new coin is an achievement, and we’re certain these Shakespeare £2 coins will be just as popular as the Beatrix Potter 50p’s, so it’s best to be quick.
To mark the 400th anniversary of the most influential literary figure in British history, three £2 coins have been released to honour the work of William Shakespeare.
The brand new Shakespeare £2 coins have been amongst the favourites of the coins due for release in 2016 and when the designs were revealed back in November, the Skull design received a lot of attention, not just from collectors.
The three different £2 coins honour Shakespeare’s tragedies, comedies and historical works and have been released into circulation just in time for the 400th anniversary of his death on the 23nd April 2016.
The coins have gone into the tills at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon where Hamlet is currently being performed.
Stratford-upon-Avon was where William Shakespeare spent the beginning and end of his life. It is where he was born and bought up, and it also appears it is the place in which he spent the last three years in retirement, with his wife and three children before he died in 1616.
The coins pay tribute to each of Shakespeare’s major genres and the reverse designs take inspiration from his most famous plays, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth.
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
Germany’s first ever 5-euro coin has been released into circulation… and it’s see-through!
Germany’s first ever 5-euro coin was released into circulation yesterday. Dubbed the ‘three material coin‘, it is also see-through!
New 'see-through’ five-Euro coin unveiled in Munich. https://t.co/4UTYBLKHcQ pic.twitter.com/X57uOFIn3t
— The Local Germany (@TheLocalGermany) April 12, 2016
Developed by Dr Peter Huber and Günther Waadt, the coin features a blue plastic ring in the middle and has been named ‘Blue Planet Earth’.
Not only is the blue ring easy to identify and authenticate by the naked eye, it is made of polymer plastic which behaves like a form of insulation between the pieces of two different metals and will be easy for cash machine to recognize whether it is real or fake.
A first in the history of coins
A German Minting Technology team has spent a decade developing this new security feature. In fact, it’s the first coin to be made from a combination of metal and plastic materials.
The plastic ring can be manufactured in any colour – perhaps we’ll see a rainbow of coloured Euro coins in the near future! It is also rumoured that the coin can change colour when exposed to UV light.
A total of 2 million coins have been released and will undoubtedly be snapped up and highly prized by coin collectors… if they haven’t already.
Yesterday it was reported that hundreds of Germans were queuing at the Bundesbank in Frankfurt for a chance to get hold of this new cutting-edge coin.
It’s unlikely that these 5-euro coins will be used in everyday transactions but if you are lucky enough to be heading to Germany any time soon, make sure you keep a look out.