A £2 coin to commemorate the event which changed the world
There are few more sombre commemorative coins in circulation than the 2007 £2 coin. Issued to mark the 200th Anniversary of the act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, it is one of the most surprising and thought provoking coins you are likely to find in your change.
The UNESCO’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is marked in August each year as a day to reflect on an unfortunate and shameful passage of history which should never be repeated, and also a be thankful for the better times we live in today.
It’s sometimes difficult to imagine a barbaric world where people were sold into slavery, but in the 17th and 18th centuries it was an accepted and unquestioned part of Britain’s growing imperial and naval supremacy.
However, there were those who objected to the whole slavery enterprise. Groups of Quakers began campaigning tirelessly in the late 18th century and won the support of an MP named William Wilberforce. Through mass petitioning and increasing national support for their cause, he was able to exert substantial pressure on the government.
As a result, Parliament passed the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1807 and significantly altered the progress and development of the transatlantic slave system. Although it did not abolish slavery itself, it prohibited trafficking and was a major step towards the total abolition of slavery across the British Empire in 1833.
Look out for this £2 in your change, and it may well make you stop and think for a moment about William Wilberforce and the powerful change for good he made in the pre-Victorian era.
The 2007 £2 Coin:
An act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade
The Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade was one of the most momentous Acts of Parliament in history and to celebrate its bicentenary in 2007, this commemorative ‘Abolition of Slavery’ £2 was issued. The reverse features a striking and imaginative design by David Gentleman with the ‘0’ of the date 1807 depicted as a broken chain link.
You can find this coin and every other commemorative coin in circulation on the Change Checker App.
The latest collecting sensation
Glasgow 2014 has been universally acclaimed as a triumph for Scotland, and although the Games may be over, their legacy lives on with a new commemorative 50p.
History repeating?
The 2014 Commonwealth Games 50p
The feeling amongst collectors is that this 50p will become one of the most highly sought-after designs for years to come. Early indications are certainly backing this up, with the coin already becoming hot property in the collecting world just days after its introduction.
It reminds me of the last 50p craze back in 2012 when the new Olympic sports designs sparked a collecting revolution. People everywhere in the UK began checking their change and hoarding these special coins as soon as they caught sight of them.
Ever since then it has been much the same story with every new commemorative issue.
On your marks, get set…
The consequence of this collecting frenzy is that commemorative coins in our pocket are now regarded as pieces of treasure and are more frequently being taken out of circulation in their thousands rather than being treated merely as a means of payment.
Coin collectors need to be quick off the mark to get their hands on the latest design. The question used to be ‘when’ will I ever find one? Increasingly it is becoming ‘if’ I will ever find one.
The 2p worth 67,850 times its face value
The world’s only silver-coloured two pence piece was sold on Friday at Charterhouse Auctions in Dorset for £1,357 – equivalent to 67,580 times its face value.
The silver-coloured 2p coin was discovered in 1988
The lucky owner, David Didcock, discovered the coin in 1988 while readying the till at the petrol station he owned at the time.
The silver colour stood out immediately, and recognising its significance, he sent it off to the Royal Mint who verified its authenticity.
Since then it has been wrapped in cotton wool and kept it in a drawer for 26 years before David finally decided it was the right time to sell.
One of a kind
It is believed that the errant coin came into existence when a single cupro-nickel blank used for 5p and 10p pieces was accidentally mixed up with a batch of bronze blanks intended for striking 2p coins.
This is not the first time a Royal Mint error has dramatically inflated the value of a coin. In 2008 when the reverse of the 20p coin changed to the Royal Shield design, around 100,000 coins were accidentally struck with the previous obverse die, and as a result there was no date on the coin. The story of the undated 20p took the collecting world by storm, and even today they are selling for in excess of £50.
Another famous error is the 1983 Two Pence which was incorrectly struck with the old wording ‘New Pence’. It is not known how many have made it into circulation, but if sold at auction it is thought they could be worth several hundred pounds.
The minting process is never completely exempt from human error, so remember to always check your change carefully. Mistakes happen, and when it comes to coins, these mistakes can often be worth a lot money to sharp-eyed collectors.