Posts Tagged ‘Rare’
It’s not just UK coins that could turn up in your change…
Coins from Crown dependencies and overseas British territories can sometimes make an unexpected appearance in our change.
They are identical in size, shape and weight to UK denominations which means they often find their way into tills and vending machines undetected.
Finding one in your change can be an annoyance on one hand as technically 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!
Here’s a look at our top 5 favourite coin designs that have been issued by Crown dependencies and overseas British territories since decimalisation:
Guernsey Freesia Flowers 50p’s were only issued in sets in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1992. They were issued into circulation in 1997.
This beautiful 50p from Guernsey features two crossed freesia flowers with ‘FIFTY PENCE’ and the date at the top and ’50’ below the design.
The obverse features David Maklouf’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the lettering ‘Bailiwick of Guernsey’ above, and also a small Guernsey Coat of Arms to the left.
This addition on the obverse makes the Guernsey 50p stand out when compared to UK 50p coins.
This 50p has the pre-1997 specifications.
Guernsey Lily £1 Coin
Guernsey Lily £1 issued in 1981.
The Guernsey Lily £1 features the island’s Lily on the reverse, and the Guernsey Coat of Arms on the obverse.
This unusual obverse without the Queen’s head makes this particular coin stand out amongst other £1 coins, and makes it sought after by collectors.
Along with the UK, Guernsey withdrew their round £1 coins from circulation in October 2017.
Isle of Man Tower of Refuge £2
Isle of Man Tower of Refuge £2 issued in 2017.
The Tower of Refuge is an important landmark on the Isle of Man. It was built in 1832 upon the reef on orders of Sir William Hillary, founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
The impressive tower with birds flying above it features on the reverse of this Isle of Man £2 coin. The obverse carries a new effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, this effigy being reserved for the Crown dependencies and Commonwealth countries.
Gibraltar Candytuft Flowers 50p
The Gibraltar Candy Tuft Flowers 50p issued in 1988 is 7 times rarer than the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p.
This 50p features the denomination surrounded by a crown of Gibraltar Candytuft flowers, known as ‘Iberis Gibraltarica’.
Iberis Gibraltarica is the national flower of Gibraltar and is the symbol of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve which covers 40% of the country’s land area. Gibraltar is the only place in Europe where it is found growing in the wild.
With a mintage of just 30,000 in 1988, this 50p is 7 times rarer than the UK’s rarest 50p so is particularly scarce and sought after amongst collectors. This 50p has the pre-1997 specifications.
Jersey Resolute £1
The Jersey Resolute £1 was issued in 1994, 1997,1998, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
The Resolute vessel was built in 1877 in Jersey by Thomas Le Huguet and was owned by Captain George Noel. The ship was used for trade before it was wrecked during a hurricane on 29th August 1905 at Friars Cove off Newfoundland.
The design depicts a two-mastered topsail schooner Resolute ship and was first issued into circulation in Jersey in 1994.
To ensure their currency would not be left vulnerable to counterfeiters, Jersey withdrew their round £1 coins from circulation in October 2017.
So have you come across any of these coin designs in your change or do you already collect coins from other countries? Let us know via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or leave us a comment below.
With a much lower population than the UK, some of these coins that can be found in your change can be extremely rare, so it’s worth keeping hold of them.
October 2017 Video Newsletter
Watch as Yasmin and Luke discuss all the latest news from the world of change collecting…
2017 Quarter 3 Change Checker “Scarcity Index” Released
Following the launch of the Change Checker “Scarcity Index” earlier this year the Quarter 3 Index has now been published.
50p Scarcity Index
It’s of little surprise that Kew Gardens maintains its top spot as the UK’s most sought after circulation coin with a perfect score of 100.
Isaac Newton, which made it’s debut in our Q2 update, settles on a score of 15, dropping 8 points from 23. This is due to a higher than expected number of Change Checker’s having this coin in their collection.
The 2017 Peter Rabbit 50p joins the “Scarcity Index” after having been released into general circulation at the end of September. A score of 16 makes it the 2nd scarcest Beatrix Potter 50p.
It’s worth noting that we currently only have estimated mintages for these two coins; it’ll be interesting to see how they rank once official mintage figures are released.
£2 Scarcity Index
There’s not a lot of movement in our Quarter 3 £2 “Scarcity Index” update.
Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland regains its position at the top of the table after being briefly replaced by Commonwealth Games Scotland in Q2.
The overall value of the Commonwealth games series has dropped slightly, however these 4 coins are still some way clear of the London 2012 Handover in 5th place.
There are no new £2 coins to add to the Index as we’re still waiting for the Jane Austen and WWI Aviation coins to be released into general circulation. We expect this to happen in Q4.
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.