Posts Tagged ‘Royal Mint’
Why we wouldn’t pay £120 (or even £24 for that matter) for the Kew Gardens 50p
How much is it worth to you?
After revealing some months ago that the Kew Gardens 50p is the rarest of all the 50p coins currently in circulation, the Royal Mint has successfully pushed the story out into the national press.
The resultant hype has seen prices sky-rocket. The Guardian initially reported prices being paid of £24 for the coin but before long the Daily Mirror and other news sources were quoting prices of £120 from e-Bay.
Incredibly, as we write, an original Brilliant Uncirculated version in a Royal Mint presentation pack (not actually one of the coins that went into circulation) is currently listed with bids of £310 on e-Bay.
But let’s step back from the hype for a minute and consider the facts:
- Yes, with just 210,000 pieces ever released into circulation this is a very scarce coin.
One listing on eBay has reached an unbelievable £310.
- That does mean that there is only one coin for every 300 people in the UK.
- Collectors will have taken some out of circulation.
But most of the coins will still be in circulation and remain so for many years.
25% of Change Checkers own the Kew Gardens 50p
In fact if you keep your eyes peeled as a Change Checker, you’ve still got fair chance of owning one. Amongst 50p Change Checkers about a quarter have Kew Gardens listed in their collection and we’re sure they haven’t all paid £120 for their coins.
So what to do if you’re impatient to own one. Well don’t panic and pay today’s prices, which are hugely inflated by the media hype. Bide your time a little and look around.
And, in case you really want one now, we’ve got 5 in stock, which we’re selling for only £17.50 each. If you’re interested just fill in the form below.
So there are two morals to the Kew Gardens story:
- You never know what treasure’s in your pocket
- Don’t believe everything you read in the papers.
Happy Change Checking.
Read about the 50p coin that is even rarer than Kew Gardens
Register your interest in a Kew Gardens 50p for £17.50
Enter your name and contact details below before 28th February to register your interest in one of five Kew Gardens 50ps we have available. If we receive more than five enquiries before the closing date we will draw five people at random and contact them directly with further details.
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Royal Mint announce new coins for 2014…
The new UK coins for 2014 have been revealed, and are set to enter circulation this year. Here we take a closer look at the themes behind them, and why 2014 is another significant year for the coinage of the United Kingdom.
This new WWI £2 will enter circulation in 2014
£2 – The First World War
2014 will of course be the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, and the Royal Mint has committed to a five-year commemoration of the emotive wartime journey from outbreak to armistice. It starts with a £2 coin bearing sculptor John Bergdahl’s depiction of Lord Kitchener’s unmistakable call to arms. The image of the British Secretary of War and his finger pointing at the reader still evokes an enormous sense of British identity and pride, and the coin also features the immortal words YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU.
Trinity House celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2014
£2 – Trinity House
Since being granted a Royal Charter in 1514 by Henry VIII, Trinity House has safeguarded the coastal waters of Britain for over 500 years. Maritime safety became crucial in the 16th Century as Britain began flexing its naval strength overseas. And today, with 95% of the UK’s imports still arriving by sea, the Trinity House pilot ships and lighthouses are still as important today as ever. The reverse design of this new £2 coin features a striking depiction of a lighthouse lens – an enduring symbol of the the safety which Trinity House still provides at sea.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow
50p – Commonwealth Games
In 1986 the Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, and the £2 of that year became the first coin in British history to commemorate a sporting event. Now, as Scotland gears up for the Games again in 2014, a new 50p to mark the occasion has been announced. The 20th Commonwealth Games will see thousands of athletes competing in 17 sports across 11 days in Glasgow. In this new reverse design, two of the most iconic sports – athletics and cycling – have been combined with a section of the St Andrews cross.
£1 – Floral Emblems
2013 saw the start of a £1 coin series celebrating the floral emblems of the British Isles designed by Timothy Noad. Completing the series in 2014 is the flax plant and shamrock to represent Northern Ireland, whilst the thistle and bluebell are portrayed on the Scottish version.
You can now collect all five designs straight from your change with the FREE Change Checker 2014 Coin Collecting Pack.
New Benjamin Britten 50p set to strike a chord with Change Checkers
The new Benjamin Britten 50p is not likely to be seen in your change until 2014
The Royal Mint’s latest 50p coin is certain to “strike a chord” with Change Checkers.
That’s because it celebrates the centenary of the birth of one of the UK’s most prominent classical composers – Sir Benjamin Britten.
Born in Suffolk on 22 November 1913, Britten studied at the Royal School of Music before going on to write some of the 20th Century’s best known opera, choral and classical pieces, including Peter Grimes (1945), a Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1945) and the War Requiem (1962).
The new 50p design has been created by another composer and artist, Tom Phillips CBE, RA. Commenting on his design Phillips says: “What I wanted the coin to speak of was music. Thus the stave soon entered the design… and his name married well with the stave. The natural accompaniment with Britten’s passion for poetry as our preeminent composer of opera and song, was some kind of key quotation. The words which eventually suggested themselves, come from the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. What better clarion call for a musical anniversary could there be than “Blow, bugle, blow: set the wild echoes flying?”
Sadly though Change Checkers will have to wait several months until you can hope to see the new Benjamin Britten coin in general circulation.