Which is your favourite Queen Elizabeth II Coin?
On 9th September 2015, Queen Elizabeth II will officially become Britain’s longest ever reigning monarch as she passes the current record of 23,226 days held by her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria. Over the years, there have been a number of coins to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II and the various milestones she has celebrated on the throne.
But which of these designs is your favourite?
Have your say in our poll at the bottom of the page…
(A) 1953 Coronation Crown
A) 1953 Coronation Crown
The 1953 Coronation Crown was the very first commemorative coin of the Queen’s reign. It features an unorthodox obverse portrait of the Queen riding on horseback and her crowned monogram on either side. The Queen’s name and titles are recited in full, and the edge inscription reads ‘Faith and Truth I will Bear Unto You’ which is taken from the Coronation Oath.
(B) Coronation 40th Anniversary
B) 1993 Coronation 40th Anniversary £5
This £5 was issued in 1993 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. The reverse of the coin features the St Edward’s Crown worn during the ceremony in 1953 at the heart of the design. Circulating the crown are 40 trumpets in recognition of the 40th anniversary year, and the same excerpt taken from the Coronation Oath; Faith and Truth I Will Bear Unto You.
(C) Coronation 50th Anniversary
C) 2003 Coronation 50th Anniversary £5
The £5 coin issued in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the coronation is one of the most unconventional designs ever issued. The central motif on the reverse of the coin was designed by Tom Phillips and reads “God Save the Queen”. His choice of contemporary style lettering is unusual for a UK coin, and covers the entire reverse – making it instantly recognisable.
(D) Coronation 60th Anniversary
D) 2013 Coronation 60th Anniversary £5
The most recent Queen Elizabeth II commemorative £5 coin was issued in 2013 to mark the Coronation Diamond Jubilee. The reverse design by Emma Noble is a simple one, with the Imperial State Crown worn by Her Majesty after the coronation ceremony featuring prominently in superb detail. It is accompanied by the words “To Reign and Serve; A Vow Made Good”.
Whose face would you like to see on the £20 note?
You may not be familiar with the life and work of economist Adam Smith, but chances are you’ve seen his face more often than you realise. His image has featured on the £20 banknote since 2007, but earlier this year, the Bank of England have announced plans to replace him.
They have asked the British public to nominate “people of historical significance” from the world of visual arts, and over the past 2 months there have been just shy of 30,000 nominations and 592 eligible candidates from which to choose.
The category is a broad one, and the suggestions have been diverse, with painters, authors, architects, film-makers and even fashion designers in contention.
Living people, fictional characters and anyone “unduly divisive” are not permitted.
Some of the nominations (from left to right) include Alfred Hitchcock, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, William Hogarth, Richard Attenborough, Beatrix Potter and William Blake
Ultimately it will be the Bank’s Governor Mark Carney who makes the decision, and the winner will be announced in Spring 2016, with the new note being introduced in the next 3-5 years. Launching the nominations, he said:
“There are a wealth of individuals within the field of visual arts whose work shaped British thought, innovation, leadership, values and society and who continue to inspire people today”.
So who would you like to feature on the new £20 note?
We’ve narrowed the list down to 10 front runners, and you can have your say in our poll below…
Ultimate Guide: The Top 10 Rarest Coins in Circulation
Have I just found a rare coin? It’s a question which collectors ask daily, and to help answer it, we’ve put together these charts showing the TOP 10 rarest coins for each of the four denominations on the Change Checker App.
How does your coin stack up against the others?
- £2 Coins – View in the Change Checker App
The Northern Ireland 2002 Commonwealth Games is the rarest £2 coin currently in circulation – in fact the four designs in the 2002 Commonwealth Games series can be found in the top ten chart. Others to look out for include both 2008 and 2012 Olympic Handover Two Pound Coin designs and the 2015 Royal Navy £2.
- £1 Coins – View in the Change Checker App
The rarest One Pound coin currently in circulation is the Edinburgh £1 – have you ever spotted one in your change? The Royal Arms is a common design which is sometimes ignored, but remember to look out for one with a 2008 date – that’s actually the fourth rarest.
- Olympic 50p Coins – View in the Change Checker App
The Olympic Fifty Pence series is very popular with Change Checkers, but in terms of rarity, there really isn’t much separating the top 10 designs. The Football ‘Offside Rule’ 50p was certainly one of the most talked about designs, and it also narrowly ranks as the scarcest.
- 50p Coins – View in the Change Checker App
As mentioned in our previous blog the rarest coin, of any denomination, is the Kew Gardens 50p. Its status as the most scarce coin has been well publicised, and as a result, many are hoarded by collectors. The chart below illustrates just how rare it is compared with other Fifty Pence designs.
Hopefully our charts will help you identify which coins you should be looking for in your loose change, and remember you can Find, Collect and Swap all your coins for FREE with the Change Checker App: www.changechecker.org/app
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Which coins are missing from your collection?
