Why 2011 was the best year for UK coin collecting

Coin collecting in the UK has seen many notable years, but 2011 stands out as a pinnacle, offering a diverse array of commemorative coins that captivated both seasoned collectors and newcomers. For many, it marked the start of their collecting journey, here’s why…

A selection of 2011 50p coins
A selection of 2011 50p coins

The 2011 Olympic 50p Series

Let’s start with what is perhaps one of the most talked about coin series of all time – the 2011 Olympic 50ps. In anticipation of the 2012 Olympics being held in London, The Royal Mint released a series of 29 unique 50p coins in 2011, each depicting a different Olympic or Paralympic sport. All 29 coins entered circulation, and quickly became a national sensation.

2011 Olympic 50p coins
Each 2011 Olympic 50p represented a different Olympic or Paralympic sport

These coins were minted in much lower quantities than the standard 50ps you can find in your change, and it became somewhat of a national treasure hunt to try and find them all. It’s estimated that as many as 75% of them have now been removed from circulation by collectors!

The rarest of them all, with a mintage of just 1,125,500, is the Olympic Football 50ps, closely followed by the Wrestling, Judo, Triathlon and Tennis coins – each with a mintage of less than 1.5 million.

2011 Olympic Football 50p
The Olympic Football 50p is the rarest in the series, with a mintage of just 1,125,500.

Most collectors would be thrilled to find any of the 29 Olympic coins in their change, however, there are some Olympic 50ps out there that are even rarer
Check out our blog to find out more >>

WWF 50p

Apart from the Olympic 50ps, the 2011 WWF 50p was the only other commemorative 50p to enter circulation in 2011.

2011 WWF 50p

Issued to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the World Wildlife Fund, this 50p coin featured 50 intricate icons representing various endangered species and environmental themes. Its unique design and limited mintage of just 3,400,000 made it extremely popular with both collectors and animal lovers.

Mary Rose £2 and King James Bible £2

After the 50p, the £2 has been the favoured denomination amongst collectors, with over 37 different commemorative and definitive designs currently in circulation to be collected. In 2011, we were treated to two new commemorative £2 coins, both of which entered circulation with extremely low mintages.

King James Bible £2

The 2011 King James Bible £2 was issued to mark 400 years since the first publication of the King James Bible -the English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England. Widely regarded as one of the most important books ever published in the English language, the King James Bible £2 features the first words from the book of John, as it’s being printed in the Bible, with a reverse text in printing blocks on the left and the printed version on the right.

Just 975,000 of these coins entered circulation, making it the 10th rarest £2 coin in circulation!

Mary Rose £2

Issued later in 2011 was the Mary Rose £2, commemorating 500 years since the Mary Rose ship was launched in 1511. The reverse design features a depiction of Henry VIII’s flagship sailing right, along with the inscription THE MARY ROSE in Tudor style lettering.

The Mary Rose £2 has a circulating mintage of 1,040,000, making it the 11th rarest £2 design and ‘Less Common’ on our Scarcity Index.

Round £1 coins

It wasn’t just 50p and £2 coins that made 2011 such a notable year for collecting, as we also saw 2 commemorative round £1 coins issued. As part of the Capital Cities series which kicked off in 2010 with the London City and Belfast City £1 coins, the Edinburgh City and Cardiff City £1s followed in 2011.

2011 Edinburgh City and Cardiff City £1 coins
2011 Edinburgh City and Cardiff City £1 coins

Not only were the Capital Cities £1 coins the penultimate round pound series (followed only by the Floral Emblems series in 2013 and 2014), but these two coins specifically became the rarest round pound coins in relation to mintage figures! The Edinburgh City £1 has a staggeringly low mintage of 935,000 and the Cardiff City £1 just 1,615,000.

£1 coin mintage figure chart
£1 coin mintage figure chart

Although round pound coins were withdrawn from circulation in 2017, it was reported in 2020 that almost 170 million round £1 coins didn’t make it back to the Royal Mint. So whilst they’re no longer legal tender, they can technically still be found in your change!

And if you have a 2011 Edinburgh City £1 in your collection, it could fetch up to £9.99 on the secondary market – that’s almost 10 times its face value!

For more information on £1 coins, check out our blog >>

Royal Milestones on £5 coins

2011 also saw the release of two £5 coins marking significant royal milestones and events.

The nation gathered to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on 29th April 2011, and the Royal Wedding was marked with a UK £5 coin. The coin features the officially approved portraits of the couple and was only the sixth time in history that a double portrait had appeared on British coinage. Designer, Mark Richards FRBS, was chosen in an invitation only process and described his depiction of the couple as ‘a feeling that pervades all the photographs I have seen of the couple together’.

Prince Philip celebrated his 90th birthday in 2011, and the milestone was commemorated on the 90th Birthday of Prince Philip £5 coin. The coin features a specially commissioned portrait of Philip, also by Mark Richards FRBS.

£5 coins do not enter circulation and therefore do not have mintages, however just 18,730 of these coins were struck in Brilliant Uncirculated presentation packs, making it one of the rarest UK £5 coins minted!


After taking a closer look at the incredible coins that were issued in 2011, it’s not hard to see why it was such a big year for UK coin collecting. Not only did the coins issued celebrate some of the most significant events and milestones in recent years, but they also had some of the lowest mintages, making them incredibly sought after by collectors.


New to collecting?

If you’re new to coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:

– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers

Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app

Fasten your seatbelts, the Harry Potter Flying Car 50p is taking off!

Change Checkers, prepare to embark on a magical journey with the latest 50p from the world of witchcraft and wizardry – the 2025 UK Harry Potter: The Flying Car 50p.

2025 Harry Potter: The Flying Car 50p
2025 Harry Potter: The Flying Car 50p

Secure the 2025 UK Harry Potter: The Flying Car 50p for your collection >>

A spellbinding design

This enchanting coin captures the adventure of the memorable scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry and Ron soar above the British countryside in a bewitched Ford Anglia, racing towards Hogwarts.

The reverse design, by Bella Biggs, brings to life the moment when Harry and Ron take flight in the magical car after missing the Hogwarts Express. The illustration is sure to summon the feeling of excitement you felt when first reading or watching the second instalment in the Harry Potter series, and true Harry Potter fans won’t want to miss seeing this coin in the flesh!


Which scene from the Harry Potter stories would you like to see featured on a UK coin? Let us know in the comments!


Continuing the magical journey

The 2025 Harry Potter: The Flying Car 50p isn’t the first time the beloved wizard has featured on a UK coin…

The release follows the 2024 Harry Potter: The Black Lake 50p, illustrating the tense underwater task during the Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Also issued in 2024 was the Harry Potter: The Winged Keys 50p, which depicted Harry’s skilful broomstick flying skills whilst chasing the enchanted flying key in Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone.

Not to be forgotten of course is the 4-coin 50p series featuring recognisable characters or locations from the stories, issued in 2022 and 2023 to celebrate 25 years since the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The very first coin featured Harry Potter himself, followed by the Hogwarts Express train, Professor Dumbledore and Hogwarts School.

These coins were extremely popular with collectors, so much so that they’re now all no longer available from The Royal Mint!


Don’t let this coin fly past you!

Given the popularity of previous Harry Potter themed coins, you should act quickly to secure this latest magical 50p for your collection.

Add the 2025 UK Harry Potter: The Flying Car 50p to your collection today >>

The 2025 Mary Poppins 50p is practically perfect in every way!

Mary Poppins, one of the best loved literary characters of all time has been celebrated on the 2025 Mary Poppins 50p – 91 years since the first book was published!

Add the 2025 UK Mary Poppins 50p to your collection >>

A supercalifragilisticexpialidocious design

The reverse design on the 2025 Mary Poppins 50p features an original illustration by Mary Shepard that appeared on the cover of the first book in P.L. Travers’ eight book series. Mary Poppins can be seen soaring over the rooftops, umbrella in one hand, trusty carpetbag in the other, an image that perfectly captures the magic of the beloved story.

Did you know? Mary Poppins illustrator Mary Shepard was the daughter of E.H. Shepard who illustrated Winnie the Pooh and The Wind in the Willows. P.L. Travers originally wanted E.H. Shepard to provide the illustrations for her stories, however he declined as he was too busy, it was only after receiving a Christmas card featuring artwork by Mary Shepard that Travers felt her whimsical style would be suited to her vision for Poppins.

Over 90 Years of Magic

After blowing in on an east wind and arriving at 17 Cherry Tree Lane, Mary Poppins gets to work taking care of the Banks children, teaching them fun and valuable life lessons – with a little bit of magic thrown in.

Mary Poppins Disney film screenshot
The 1964 Mary Poppins film adaptation starred Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins
Image Credit: Disney trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Since the first book was published in 1934, the Mary Poppins stories have captured the imaginations of both children and adults across the globe, gaining further popularity in 1964 with the Disney film adaptation of the story.

Julie Andrews brought the beloved literary character to life in the original 1964 film adaptation, however Poppins has been portrayed countless times in film and theatre since.

Who’s portrayal of Mary Poppins is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!

Other literary icons on UK coins

Mary Poppins isn’t the first literary character to feature on a UK coin, we’ve previously seen the likes of Lucy Pevensie and Mr Tumnus strolling through Narnia on the 2023 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 50p, Paddington Bear travelling around London on the 2018 and 2019 Paddington 50p series and of course, the Gruffalo on the sell-out 2019 coins and the 2024 Gruffalo’s Child 50p.

L-R: 2022 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 50p, Paddington 50ps, 2019 Gruffalo 50p, 2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p and 2024 Gruffalo’s Child 50p

Peter Rabbit and other beloved characters from Beatrix Potter’s enchanting tales featured on UK coins between 2016 and 2020. Thirteen Beatrix Potter 50ps were issued between 2016 and 2018, each featuring beloved characters from Potter’s enchanting tales. All of these coins entered circulation, however a further 2 Peter Rabbit 50ps were issued in 2019 and 2020 which did not enter circulation.

And not to be forgotten is the 9-coin Winnie the Pooh 50p series which feature original illustrations from A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh storybooks by none other than E.H. Shepard!

Winnie the Pooh UK 50p coins
9 Winnie the Pooh 50ps were issued between 2020 and 2022

Secure your 2025 Mary Poppins 50p

Add the 2025 UK Mary Poppins 50p to your collection for just £8.99 (+p&p) >>