It’s all change for the 50ps! Your Scarcity Index…

It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we’ll reveal the UK’s most sought-after circulation coins of the last three months! And it’s all change again for the 50ps this quarter, as one coin drops a huge 15 places!

With less cash being used because of the current climate, it’s likely this is affecting collecting and it seems this has exposed some new trends on the indexes!

You can use the updated A-Z 10p, 50p and £2 indexes below to discover how sought-after the coins in your collection really are.

This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and 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.

A-Z 10p Scarcity Index

Well we’ve seen another big mix up for the latest A-Z 10p Scarcity Index update, with our biggest climber, M for Mackintosh, jumping up a huge 12 places!

In our last Scarcity Index, we saw the Tea 10p take the top spot for the first time and it’s retained its title this quarter, closely followed by Y for Yeoman Warder.

Other big movers include the H for Houses of Parliament and F for Fish and Chips, both moving down 16 places towards the bottom of the index.

Regardless of where they feature on the above index, if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself lucky, as they are particularly hard to come by in circulation and each design has a relatively low mintage (just 220,000 of each design released in 2018 and 2.1 million overall in 2019).

50p Scarcity Index

Previously the Football 50p had held second spot behind the most sought-after 50p in circulation, the Kew Gardens, but we saw it drop last quarter, and this Index, it’s similar story! The Judo, Triathlon and Wrestling 50ps have now all bumped the Football 50p to fifth spot.

This update sees a huge jump for Taekwondo, jumping up 11 places and landing it in our top 10. There are big changes for the Wheelchair Rugby and Athletics 50ps too, dropping 15 and 11 respectively.

Since our last Scarcity Index update, we’ve seen the 2018 Peter Rabbit drop 3 places but the 2018 Flopsy Bunny 50p has jumped up 2 spots. As the two rarest Beatrix Potter 50ps in circulation, it’s interesting to see them shuffle once more. These coins are definitely the ones to watch…

£2 Scarcity Index

For the first time in recent updates, the Commonwealth Games coins have been disrupted at the top of the index. The Olympic Handover has bumped the Commonwealth Games Wales £2 out of the top 4, moving up a place.

As for the rest of the index, there’s been a substantial amount of reshuffling. The Shakespeare Tragedies has dropped 11 places, whilst the First World War (Navy) is up 3!

After the announcement that there are no plans to issue any £2 coins into circulation for the next 10 years, it’s likely we’ll see a further shuffle to the £2 Index over the next few quarters.

How your Scarcity Index works

Generally collectors have had to rely upon 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.

Additionally, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – the poignant First World War £2 Coin series being an example. 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 allowing Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.

How much are my coins worth?

The Scarcity Index does not necessarily equate to value but it is certainly an effective indicator.  For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay.

You can use the 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 and, because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.


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The 2018 UK A-Z 10p Collector’s Kit gives you everything you need to collect, display, and protect your collection of A-Z 10p coins as you find them in your change.

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New 50p coin celebrating diversity in Britain enters circulation TODAY!

On Saturday 17th October, a surprise coin release made the headlines, as a brand new 50p was released to celebrate how diversity built Britain.

This new 50p is the first in a series to celebrate diversity across the whole of Britain and how our diverse culture has helped to shape the rich history and heritage of our nation.

Collectors will also be delighted to hear that 2.5 million Diversity in Britain 50ps are expected to enter circulation today, so now’s the time to get checking your change for this brand new release!

Secure your 2020 UK Diversity Built Britain 50p today! Click here

Designed by Dominque Evans, the new 50p features the words “DIVERSITY BUILT BRITAIN” against a network of interconnected triangles, symbolising the importance of connections between communities, and the strength of these connections cross the country.

Dominique Evans is one of the UK’s foremost coin designers and has reflected her own experience of diversity, growing up as a mixed-race woman, as inspiration for her design.

“When designing this coin, I began by thinking about the people who inspire me and what diversity has meant in my life. I believe that no matter where you are born, we all belong under the same sky and this was the starting point of the design,” Evans said.

Celebrating Diversity on UK Coins

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Master of the Mint, unveiled the brand new UK 50p which celebrates British diversity and marks the profound contribution ethnic minority communities have made to our nation’s history.

He said, “For generations, ethnic minority groups have fought and died for this country we have built together; taught our children, nursed the sick, cared for the elderly; and through their enterprising spirit have started some of our most exciting and dynamic businesses, creating jobs and driving growth.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak commissioned the new 50p coins (Credit: HM Treasury/PA)

The coin was commissioned earlier this year following discussions with the We Too Built Britain campaign and calls for BAME figures to appear on UK coins and banknotes.

Look out for the Diversity Built Britain 50p in your change!

This release really has come as a wonderful surprise for Change Checkers and I’m sure demand for the new issue will be high as collectors rush to secure one for their 50p collection.

Will you be adding the 2020 Diversity Built Britain 50p to your collection? Let us know in the comments below!

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Get ahead of the crowd and secure this brand new 50p coin in superior collector quality!

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Vote for your favourite 2020 Winnie the Pooh 50p coin

Winnie the Pooh has been on a very big adventure this week, as he appeared on the UK’s 50p for the very first time, and has even made the headlines!

Coin collectors and Winnie the Pooh fans alike have been eager to get their hands on the first coin in the series of nine. Whilst we only have the designs for the first three, which will all be released individually this year, Change Checkers have already fallen in love with the series.

The coins have been designed by The Walt Disney Company, having taken inspiration by the original illustrations by E.H Shepard in A. A. Milne’s classic story.

*** UPDATE ***

Change Checkers have been voting and the winning Winnie the Pooh 50p design has now been decided!

And the Winnie the Pooh coin which comes out on top is actually the Christopher Robin 50p, taking a huge 46% of the votes! This is a sure indication for how popular this coin is going to be with collectors when it’s released later this year…

In second at 29% is the main man himself, Winnie the Pooh, closely followed by Piglet at 24%.

More details of the Christopher Robin and Piglet 50p coins will follow when they are individually released, but let us know which one is your favourite in the comments.


Secure the 2020 UK Winnie the Pooh 50p for JUST £4.50 (+p&p)

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