It’s all change in our latest Scarcity Index Update!

So you think you’ve found a rare coin in your change, but how do you know how scarce it really is? Well, mintage figures only tell part of the story…

Our Scarcity Index uses data from the Change Checker Swap Centre to determine just how scarce and sought-after your coins are. The information is presented in the easy-to-use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index update.

50p Scarcity Index

It’s all change on our latest 50p index, with all but 3 coins moving at least 1 place.

Of course, right at the top is a non mover, the Kew Gardens 50p, closely followed by the Olympic Judo 50p. A select few Olympic 50ps regularly move around at the top of the list, however after climbing to 2nd place in our last index, the Judo 50p holds its spot and surprisingly, the coveted Football 50p has been bumped down slightly.

On to the big movers…and one Olympic 50p that has dropped a massive 34 places is the Boccia 50p, putting it back to where it was about a year ago. Also moving down is the 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p which has gone down 35 places and the Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral 50p which has dropped 16 places.

2018 Peter Rabbit 50p
The 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p fell by 35 places

It’s not all bad news for the 50ps though, because the Roger Bannister 50p and the Ironside 50p have climbed 17 and 14 places respectively. The Roger Bannister 50p has a mintage of just over 9 million and the Ironside 50p 7 million, making them some of the more common commemorative 50ps in circulation, so this shakeup on the index is definitely interesting. 

2004 Roger Bannister 50p
The 2004 Roger Bannister 50p climbed 17 places

Other notable movers are the Fencing 50p which has dropped 13 places, and the Taekwondo, Boxing, Volleyball and Canoeing 50ps which have all climbed 8 places.

If you’re new to collecting and want to find out more about circulation coins, you can check out our fact files here >>

Otherwise, keep reading to find out which 10ps and £2 coins you should be looking out for.

10p Scarcity Index

Once again, the A-Z 10p Scarcity Index has had quite a shake up, with only 4 coins staying put since our last update.  

Coins climbing up the ranks include the O for Oak 10p which has risen by 9 places and the K for King Arthur and I for Ice Cream 10ps which both shot up by 6 places.

Falling almost to the bottom of the index is the N for NHS 10p which went down by 12 places since our last update and the F for Fish and Chips 10p which fell by 9 places.

The N for NHS 10p fell by 12 places

*Note*
It’s worth remembering that this Index only ranks the 10ps against each other, when really even the ones at the bottom of the list are still incredibly sought-after. And that’s no surprise, as a maximum of JUST 304,000 of each A-Z 10p design entered circulation across 2018 and 2019.

It’s thought that a large percentage of these 10ps have been snapped up by collectors, leaving a limited amount still in circulation, so make sure you keep an eye out for them in your change!

£2 Scarcity Index

We usually see less movement on the £2 index due to the fact that less coins have entered circulation in recent years, however this time, there have been some big movers.

Climbing an impressive 13 places is the Shakespeare Tragedies £2, which was previously 1 place from the very bottom of the index. Out of the 3 Shakespeare coins, the Comedies £2 has the lowest mintage figure, however this one has fallen by just one place.

The Shakespeare Tragedies £2 shot up 13 places

Another surprising change is the Guinea £2 which has fallen by 17 places since our last update, putting it almost at the bottom of the index. When it was issued in 2013, just 2,990,000 Guinea £2 coins entered circulation, so despite it now ranking as common on our Scarcity Index, it’s still one of the rarer £2s out there.

And of course, the Commonwealth Games N. Ireland £2 remains at the top of the list due to it’s incredibly low mintage of just 485,000.


How your Scarcity Index works

Generally collectors have relied on 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.

What’s more, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – for example the First World War £2 Coin series.

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. This allows Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.


How much are my coins worth?

The Scarcity Index doesn’t necessarily equate to value, but it is certainly a good indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay and is unsurprisingly top of the 50p Index.

You can use our 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.


What about £1 Coins?

The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the Round £1 coins. Because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.


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How much is your Coronation 50p worth? January 2024 eBay Tracker update!

Do you have any of the below coins or banknotes in your collection? If so, read on to find out how much they could be worth in our latest eBay Tracker and Valuation Index!

The secondary market can be a bit of a minefield, so we’ve put together an easy way for you to see how much the top 11 UK coins and banknotes are selling for right now.

eBay Tracker


The 2023 Coronation 50p makes its first appearance on our eBay Tracker
The 2023 Coronation 50p makes its first appearance on our eBay Tracker

Overall, things have been fairly consistent since our last update in June 2023, however individually, there have been some sizeable increases in prices and some surprising decreases.

Excitingly, this is the first eBay Tracker to feature the King Charles III Coronation 50p! When we last updated our index, this coin had only been available for a short while as it didn’t enter circulation until August 2023. However 6 months on, collectors have had the chance to find the Coronation 50p there have been a fair few listings on the secondary market.

2023 Coronation 50p reverse and crowned obverse
2023 Coronation 50p reverse and crowned obverse

Coronation 50p

The Coronation 50p enters the tracker with a median value of £2.69. Although that may not seem very much, it’s still over 5 times the coin’s face value, and considering it’s only been in circulation for 5 months, that’s quite the increase!

2023 Coronation 50p
2023 Coronation 50p

2015 Britannia £2

Moving onto the coin that’s seen the biggest increase in selling value – the 2015 Britannia £2. With a huge 39% increase since our last update, the Britannia £2 is currently selling for around £6.24 on the secondary market.

Britannia first appeared on the Farthing in 1672 and subsequently featured on various UK coins for more than 300 years. After being dropped from the 50p in 2008, Britannia had its resurgence in 2015 when it replaced the technology design on our definitive £2 coins.

2015 Britannia £2
2015 Britannia £2

Olympic Football 50p

The Olympic Football 50p is also worth keeping an eye on, as we’ve seen a 24% increase in its secondary market value! The 2011 Olympic 50p have long been favourites amongst collectors, but did you know that only 1,125,500 Football 50ps entered circulation, making it the rarest Olympic 50p out there.

Considering Its low mintage figure and popular design explaining the hotly debated offside rule, it’s no wonder people are still willing to pay nearly 36 times its face value for one!

2011 Olympic Football 50p
2011 Olympic Football 50p

Undated 20p

The undated 20p remains one of the most sought-after coins, with some being sold on the secondary market for £64, a 23% increase since our last eBay tracker update! Although it’s not known exactly how many undated 20ps are in circulation, it’s often considered as the holy grail of change collecting.

Are you lucky enough to have an undated 20p in your collection?

Undated 20p
Undated 20p

Kew Gardens 50p

Released by The Royal Mint in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the striking design of this 50p, by Christopher Le Brun RA, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew, entwined by a decorative leafy climber.

In 2014, The Royal Mint revealed that only 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p coins had been struck, making it the scarcest UK coin in circulation. And nearly 10 years later, people are still willing to pay hefty sums to get their hands on one. The average secondary market value for a Kew Gardens 50p is currently around £148, just £10 less than our last update.

2009 Kew Gardens 50p
2009 Kew Gardens 50p

AA01 £5 and £10 Polymer Banknotes

Despite not increasing in value since our last update, the first batch of Polymer £5 and £10 banknotes are definitely worth looking out for.

Did you know, the very first note of each denomination printed was given to the Queen, and the second to Prince Phillip? So, you definitely won’t find those ones in circulation! But if you do spot a £5 or £10 note with a serial number starting with AA01, you could make a pretty penny on the secondary market.

One seller reported selling an AA01 £5 note on eBay for over £60,000 in 2017, however our eBay tracker reveals that you can currently get your hands on one for around £15 – which is still 3 times its face value!

Polymer £5 Banknote with AA01 serial number (for illustrative purposes only)
Polymer £5 Banknote with AA01 serial number (for illustrative purposes only)

Valuation Index

Change Checker Valuation Index

With the new Atlantic Salmon 50p having entered circulation in December, there are now 3 coin designs featuring King Charles III to look out for in your change – so make sure you keep your eyes peeled!

Have you found any of the King Charles III 50ps ‘in the wild’ yet? Let us know in the comments!


eBay Tracker FAQs

My coin isn’t on the eBay Tracker

The eBay Tracker follows the movements of the top 11 UK coins and banknotes, however if your coin doesn’t appear on the tracker you can use our 6 point guide to help determine the realistic value for your coin.

How does the eBay Tracker work?

The Change Checker eBay Tracker takes the last 9 sold prices on eBay and gives the median price achieved. By taking the median, rather than an average, we avoid skewing figures with excessively high or low prices.

Please note that the Change Checker eBay Tracker is only ever designed to be a guide as to prices achieved on eBay. Prices may vary depending on collector demand and the quality of the coin being sold. It does not provide any guarantee as to future values of coins.


Find out more about your coins

If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use!

Sign up to the Change Checker App now >>

Share, learn & swap with the Change Checker Community

Could this be the ONLY way to own the 2024 Winston Churchill £2?

The 2024 Annual Coin Set celebrates some of the most significant anniversaries and events taking place this year, one of which being 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill.

The 2024 Winston Churchill £2 depicts him as a young man during his time in the Cavalry army, with the years of his life 1874-1965 either side of his portrait.

However, rather unusually, the Winston Churchill £2 will be the only coin from the 2024 Annual Set NOT to be released individually.

2024 UK Winston Churchill £2 in hand
2024 UK Winston Churchill £2 in hand

A collecting ‘first’

At the beginning of each year, collectors eagerly anticipate the release of The Royal Mint’s Annual Coin Set, which includes 5 of the best commemorative coins from the year to come. Securing the Annual Set is usually the only way for collectors to get their hands on the coins until they’re individually released later in the year.

2024 Annual Coin Set
2024 Annual Coin Set

Get your 2024 Annual Coin Set for just £42 (+postage) >>

However, this year is a bit different as the Winston Churchill £2 WON’T be issued individually – meaning that currently, the only way to own it is in the 2024 Annual Set. This is extremely unusual, but we have seen similar situations a handful of times before.

Serious collectors know why it’s important to own both the Annual Set and individual release versions of coins, but in case you didn’t know, here are a few examples of previous design differences…

2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p

The most recent example is the 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p, issued to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s incredible 70 year reign.

2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p
2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p

At the beginning of 2022, the Annual Coin Set included the Platinum Jubilee 50p which featured the number 70 and the Queen’s cypher on the reverse and the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. However, when the coin was individually released later in the year, it featured a special obverse design of Her Majesty on horseback – a nod to the design on the 1952 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Crown.

Team GB 50p

Back in 2020, the Team GB 50p was released as part of the 2020 Annual Coin Set, to celebrate Team GB’s participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The reverse design featured a depiction of various Olympic sports, the official Team GB logo and the year 2020, whilst the obverse featured Jody Clark’s Queen Elizabeth II portrait and the date 2020.

2020 Team GB 50p
2020 Team GB 50p

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021, this 50p was never individually released in 2020.

The Team GB 50p was eventually individually issued in 2021, however due to the delayed release, it featured two different dates – 2020 on the reverse design and 2021 on the obverse. This made it one of just a few UK coins to feature a dual-date.

2020 Team GB 50p from the 2020 Annual Set
2020 Team GB 50p from the 2020 Annual Set
2021 individually released Team GB 50p
Individually released 2021 Team GB 50p

2021 Decimal Day 50p

The Decimal Day 50p was issued as part of the 2021 Annual Set to mark the 50th anniversary of Decimalisation.

2021 Decimal Day 50p
2021 Decimal Day 50p

The Decimal Day 50p in the 2021 Annual Set featured overlapping pre-decimal coins and the date ‘1971’ on the reverse and the original Arnold Machin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse – which featured on the very first 50p back in 1969. However, when it was individually released later in 2021, the Decimal Day 50p featured the standard Jody Clark portrait of Her Majesty on the obverse.

2021 Decimal Day 50p from the 2021 Annual Set featuring Arnold Machin portrait
2021 Decimal Day 50p from the 2021 Annual Set featuring Arnold Machin portrait
Individually released 2021 Decimal Day 50p featuring Jody Clark portrait
Individually released 2021 Decimal Day 50p featuring Jody Clark portrait

The above three examples show how some UK coins are individually released with slightly different variations to their Annual Set counterpart, however the 2024 Winston Churchill £2 is highly unusual in that it won’t be individually released at all! As collectors will know, an unusual story like this is sure to add to the collectability of this coin and the 2024 Annual Set.


The return of Winston Churchill on UK currency

Winston Churchill is one of the most memorable figures in British politics, and the 2024 Winston Churchill £2 isn’t the first time we’ve seen him feature on our UK currency.

The 1965 Churchill Crown was issued to mark the death of Sir Winston Churchill, making him the first non-royal to be portrayed on a British coin.

The reverse design features a sombre-looking head and shoulders portrait of Churchill wearing a ‘siren suit’ – overalls designed to be worn in wartime air-raid shelters, invented and popularised by Churchill.

In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games being held in London, the Royal Mint issued the 2010 London Olympic Games Sir Winston Churchill £5.

The design was inspired by a statue of wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill accompanied by a quote: ‘Be daring, be first, be different, be just’.

Half a century after his death, the 2015 Churchill £5 was issued.

Engraver Mark Richards FRBS, who designed the reverse of this coin, said he wanted to convey Churchill as larger than life by creating an image larger than the coin itself.

Winston Churchill on a UK £5 bank note 
Credit: The Bank of England
Winston Churchill on a UK £5 bank note
Credit: The Bank of England

In 2016, Sir Winston Churchill replaced Elizabeth Fry on the UK £5 bank note.

The design features the famous portrait of Churchill in 1941 known as the ‘Roaring Lion’ as well as his famous quote “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” which he made on the day he became Prime Minister.


So, considering the rarity of a scenario like this, will you be adding the 2024 Annual Set to your collection to guarantee the 2024 Winston Churchill £2? Perhaps you have all the previous Churchill coins in your collection and don’t want to miss the latest issue, let us know in the comments!

Secure the Winston Churchill £2 as part of the 2024 Annual Set