Posts Tagged ‘Rare coin’
Is your H.G. Wells £2 coin worth thousands? How to spot if you’ve got an ‘error’ coin!
Every keen collector knows that it is worthwhile paying close attention to the small details of your coins – it’s the only way you can ever hope to spot an error.
From edge inscription mix ups to inverted effigies, there are a few stories that crop up more often than not. However, recently, a couple of ‘error’ stories have cropped up, that Change Checker really think you should pay attention to – involving an H.G. Wells £2 and the Technology £2…
Stay tuned as we take a closer look at these ‘errors’ and help you determine if your £2 coin is a genuine rarity!
H.G. Wells £2 – Blank ‘Error’
This £2 coin was issued as part of the 2021 UK Commemorative Coin set and it marks the 75th anniversary of the death of science fiction novelist, H. G. Wells.
With the clue in the name, this bi-metallic coin is made up of a combination of a silver coloured cupro-nickel disc and an outer yellow nickel-brass ring.
In the case of this H.G. Wells £2 coin however, it appears that the blank used has a thicker yellow ring, much wider than what we’d see on normal £2 coins.
When striking £2 coins, the first step is to punch a hole through a blank planchet to create the outer section. The inner core is taken from a different metal, sized to fit inside the outer ring.
There have already been estimations that if this coin was to be sold at auction, it could fetch over £1,000! We’re going to be eagerly awaiting confirmation from The Royal Mint whether this error is genuine or not. Nonetheless, it certainly makes for interesting collecting!
This coin is yet to be individually issued, so any ‘error’ versions will have come exclusively from the 2021 UK Annual Set. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if any other stories crop up after the coin’s individual issue….
Whilst there are no identical examples to compare the H.G. Wells £2 ‘error’ to, there have been previous instances of the inner and outer sections of £2 coins not quite matching up:
Clipped Planchet
In the above image, the inner core was punched out from the end of the sheet of metal used for blanks, forming a straight or ragged edge clip.
Whilst this also occurs with monometallic coins, the pairing with an outer ring exposes a large gap which is much more noticeable.
The Royal Mint strike millions of coins each year so it is inevitable that variances will occur during the striking process and can’t always be picked up during quality control, despite the fact that this particular coin would weigh less than the standard 12g £2 coin.
Off Centre Inner Core
The inner core of this coin hasn’t been united properly prior to being struck, resulting in an off centre inner core.
Due to the way the inner and outer core are struck together with the two metals being lined up and then fused together during striking, a misalignment will mean that the inner core spills into the outer ring, as seen in the image above. There might also be a gap between the two metals on the opposing join.
Faulty Outer Ring
This particular mis-strike, shows a faulty planchet or outer ring, where the inner core is exposed.
In the image above, you can actually see the specific engineering design features where the inner core is grooved to help the metal flow bond to the outer ring and fuse during striking.
Similar to the first mis-strike we looked at, this could be caused by a clipped planchet, this time created when the outer ring was punched, however coins like this may also be caused by tampering post striking, for example by fakers trying to replace the inner core of a £2 with another coin to pass off as a rare error.
Bronze £2 Error
The ‘Monometallic’ £2 is described as the Holy Grail of bimetallic ‘errors’ and is the result of the nickel-brass £2 blank not having the inner core section punched out before being struck.
This means that the £2 coin is made from one full piece of nickel-brass, completely contrasting the very idea of a bimetallic coin.
A 2007 monometallic £2 was verified by The Royal Mint and in the email confirming the mis-strike it was mentioned that they had only seen 4-5 similar coins before.
However, in 2021, Change Checker was contacted by a collector called Amin who informed us that he had found this exact error coin but with a 2010 date.
After sending details of his coin to The Royal Mint for further information, it was confirmed to be genuine error as a result of the minting process.
This rare striking error is highly sought-after and coins have achieved extraordinary prices in private sales and auctions.
Whilst information of this coin’s sale has remained private, it’s certainly a very interesting story and we imagine the collector can expect to see a very impressive return on this coin…
We look forward to the individual release of the HG Wells £2 later this year and will certainly be keeping our eyes peeled for any unusual looking variations!
Have you ever come across any of these £2 error coins in your collection?
We’d love to know! Comment below.
Secure the 2021 UK Commemorative Coin Set – featuring the H. G. Wells £2!
75th Anniversary of VE Day marked by FIVE world-renowned Mints
2020 marked the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, and the official end of the Second World War.
Following the Allies’ acceptance of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender on the 8th May 1945, the war in Europe had finally come to a close after a long five years of conflict.
Most UK collectors will be familiar with the United Kingdom 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day £2 coin issued earlier this year to commemorate the historic event.
However, Allied Nations across the globe have been commemorating 75 years since the end of the Second World War and this important anniversary has been marked with unique coin issues from some of the world’s most renowned Mints.
Coins issued by the Netherlands, Canada, France, and Belgium, in addition to the UK £2, have been brought together for the first time in the remarkable 75th Anniversary of VE Day Allied Nations Coin Pack.
75th Anniversary of VE Day Allied Nations Coin Pack
Featuring FIVE carefully chosen commemorative coins from world renowned Mints and including The Royal Mint’s 75th Anniversary of VE Day £2 coin as the centrepiece, this limited edition Commemorative Coin Pack has been released JUST for Change Checkers.
The coins included with this extraordinary set are:
United Kingdom £2
This brand new United Kingdom £2 coin by Royal Mint designer Dominique Evans features a woman holding a newspaper aloft in crowd of celebrating people, set against a backdrop of the word ‘VICTORY’. The edge inscription reads ‘JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW’.
Canada $2
As a tribute to the fallen and a promise to never forget, Canada have issued a commemorative $2 coin marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. This coin re-creates the iconic Victory Nickel design on a brand new $2 coin.
Belgium 2.5 Euro
The Royal Mint of Belgium issued this 2.5 Euro coin designed by Luc Luycx to show Europe lit with fireworks in honor of this 75th anniversary. The reverse shows the newly liberated Brussels on 4th September 1944.
This coin is limited to a maximum circulation of 50,000 pieces worldwide.
Netherlands 5 Euro
Although part of the Netherlands had already been liberated in 1944, it wasn’t until the 5th May 1945 that the whole of the Netherlands was allowed to live in freedom. This 5 Euro is the official commemorative coin to mark such an important moment in history and has been designed by artist Marijke van Warmerdam.
Only 15,000 Silver-Plated pieces are available worldwide!
France 2 Euro
Renowned French army officer and statesman, Charles de Gaulle led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II. This 2 Euro coin features two profiles of de Gaulle as both the revered army general during the war, and as President of France during his second term. A Lorraine cross also features on the design as the symbol of free France, chosen by General de Gaulle.
All of these incredible coins come presented in the Change Checker 75th Anniversary of VE Day Coin Pack. Which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the Limited Edition 75th Anniversary of VE Day Coin Pack to your Collection Today!
Due to the difficulty of sourcing these coins, we have only a limited number of these extraordinary packs available!
To ensure you don’t miss out on this special anniversary year, please secure your Change Checker 75th Anniversary of VE Day Allied Nations Coin Pack here >>
Vote for your favourite 2020 Winnie the Pooh 50p coin
Winnie the Pooh has been on a very big adventure this week, as he appeared on the UK’s 50p for the very first time, and has even made the headlines!
Coin collectors and Winnie the Pooh fans alike have been eager to get their hands on the first coin in the series of nine. Whilst we only have the designs for the first three, which will all be released individually this year, Change Checkers have already fallen in love with the series.
The coins have been designed by The Walt Disney Company, having taken inspiration by the original illustrations by E.H Shepard in A. A. Milne’s classic story.
*** UPDATE ***
Change Checkers have been voting and the winning Winnie the Pooh 50p design has now been decided!
And the Winnie the Pooh coin which comes out on top is actually the Christopher Robin 50p, taking a huge 46% of the votes! This is a sure indication for how popular this coin is going to be with collectors when it’s released later this year…
In second at 29% is the main man himself, Winnie the Pooh, closely followed by Piglet at 24%.
More details of the Christopher Robin and Piglet 50p coins will follow when they are individually released, but let us know which one is your favourite in the comments.
Secure the 2020 UK Winnie the Pooh 50p for JUST £4.50 (+p&p)
Own the 2020 UK Winnie the Pooh 50p in Brilliant Uncirculated quality by clicking here >>