There’s nothing ‘Bah, Humbug’ about these brand new Isle of Man ‘A Christmas Carol’ £2 coins!

A Christmas Carol, published in 1843, is arguably one of Charles Dickens’ most famous novels – teaching us to keep the spirit of Christmas and kindness in our hearts all year round.

2020 Isle of Man ‘A Christmas Carol’ £2 Coin Trio. Secure yours here >>

And, in this 150th year since the passing of the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era, Charles Dickens has been celebrated with the release of three enchanting £2 coins, each inspired by his timeless festive tale, including:

  • Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present
  • Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
  • Scrooge with Tiny Tim as a representation of his redemption

The 2020 Isle of Man ‘A Christmas Carol’ £2 Set is a truly unique festive addition to any collection this Christmas season, or could even make the perfect Christmas gift or stocking filler for a friend or relative!

We only have a limited stock available for Change Checkers, so don’t miss out on your chance to own this BRAND NEW 2020 ‘A Christmas Carol’ £2 Set for JUST £25.00 (+p&p) by clicking here >>


Following in the popularity of previous Isle of Man Christmas coins, this set is sure to be in high demand amongst collectors.

JUST 3,000 of each design will be entering circulation on the Isle of Man, so these coins will be particularly hard to come by, as i’m sure collectors on the island will be quick to snap them up!

Let’s a take a look at some other festive issues we’ve seen from the Isle of Man…

2019 Santa £2

2019 Isle of Man Santa £2

Traditionally, the Isle of Man release Christmas themed 50ps most years, however last year, this incredibly popular Santa £2 coin was released

This magical design features an enchanting portrait of Old St. Nick and bears the inscription ‘Nollick Ghennal’ which is Manx for ‘Merry Christmas’.

At the top of the coin, the distinctive Isle of Man Triskelion (three armoured legs) can be seen.

2003 Snowman 50p

2003 Snowman 50p

2003 marked the very first time The Snowman featured on circulating coinage.

The Isle of Man released a limited-edition coin to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of the ‘The Snowman’ by Raymond Briggs.

Only 10,000 of these coins were ever minted, which makes it incredibly sought-after. In fact, this coin sells for well over face value on the secondary market, often fetching more than £200!

Since 2003, the Snowman has featured on a number of Isle of Man Christmas coins, and has even made two appearances on UK coins, which have been incredibly popular with collectors!

2018 Hunt the Wren £2

2018 Isle of Man Hunt the Wren £2

On boxing day on the Isle of Man, communities come together across the island to dance and sing in the streets around “the king of all birds” who is paraded around on a pole. 

Hunt the Wren, as it is known on the island has become one of the most popular yet more unusual Manx traditions in practice today.

The practice dates back to Pagan times and is centred on the wren bird, which is hunted and then danced through the streets on a special pole.

This £2 coin was issued in 2018 by The Isle of Man to celebrate the Manx tradition.

2013 Christmas Wreath and Stocking 50p

2013 Isle of Man Christmas Wreath and Stocking 50p. Source: Coin Update.

This festive 50p was issued in 2013 on the Isle of Man and features a traditional Christmas wreath and stocking.

It is estimated that only 30,000 of these coins entered circulation on the Isle of Man, making them particularly sought-after. Due to the island having a population of less than 85,000, mintages tend to be much lower than we see in the UK.


Let us know in the comments below what you think of these brand new A Christmas Carol £2 coins!

Will you be bringing them home this Christmas?


Secure this set of three ‘A Christmas Carol’ £2 coins to your collection today!

Secure yours today by clicking here >>

These coins truly are a wonderful addition to any collection and can even make the perfect gift for a loved one!

Secure yours today for JUST £25.00 (+p&p) by clicking here >>

How much is my Charles Dickens £2 worth?

Could your Charles Dickens £2 really be worth a fortune?

Every keen collector knows that it is worthwhile paying close attention to the small details of your coins – it’s the only way you can ever hope to spot an error. However, it’s also important to know when you have a genuine rarity (and when you don’t). There are a few stories which crop up more often than others, and one of them is the elaborated value of the Charles Dickens £2. So hopefully this post will help dispel some of the myths about the coin.

The Charles Dickens £2 coin was issued by The Royal Mint in 2012 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of one of Britain’s most famous and beloved writers. The design features Dickens’ recognisable profile crafted from the titles of his most famous works and is a favourite amongst collectors.

But recently, a number of stories have been popping up regarding the ‘errors’ people have noticed, such as fading dots around the centre part, upside down edge lettering and misspelling of the edge inscription. In fact, some of these coins have even been listed on eBay for thousands of pounds, leaving Change Checkers wondering “how much is the Charles Dickens’ £2 coin actually worth?”

The value of the Charles Dickens £2 coin is often elaborated on online market places such as eBay as seen here the £2 coin is listed for £3,500. Credit: eBay

But before you get too excited and consider putting your Charles Dickens up for sale, let’s take a look at what these ‘errors’ really mean…

Disappearing dots

This has also been found on many other £2 coins so is not exclusive to the Dickens coin, where the dots that should that go all around the silver centre of the coin suddenly disappear. Unfortunately this wouldn’t actually add any value to the coin, as it is simply caused by the mass production process, where millions of coins are being struck at once and the dies get worn down. It’s difficult to ensure all coins look exactly the same considering the millions of coins that are struck at one time, but we definitely feel that variations like this makes collecting more exciting.

Dots around silver centre disappearing. Credit: eBay

Upside down lettering

Upside down lettering is very common on bi-metallic coins and can be seen on many of the £2 coins you find in your change. Again, this isn’t actually an error, but a variation to look out for on your coins. It happens during the minting process, when the edge lettering is applied before the obverse and reverse of the coin has even been struck. This then explains why some coins can end up with the edge lettering appearing upside down.

£2 coin with upside down edge lettering

Misspelled edge inscription

Many people have noticed that there is a ‘miss spelled’ WILL on the edge inscription of their Charles Dickens £2 coin. This is actually caused by a worn out die, where the end of the L has been worn down to look like an I. This is a common variation amongst coins and can also be seen on the 2005 Gunpowder plot £2, which now has many variations of edge inscription due to the worn out R appearing as a P.

Edge inscription ‘WILL’ spelt ‘WII’. Credit: eBay

The Charles Dickens £2 coin actually only ranks as ‘common’ on our Scarcity Index, however it’s fascinating to hear about the different variations people have noticed on their coins and looking out for these makes for great coin collecting!

Unfortunately, people listing coins like this on eBay hoping for elaborate amounts are usually just chancers looking for a quick buck and rarely mean the coin is actually an error.

It’s the differences caused by human error, such as a wrong date or design or even the wrong metal used that are a lot more sought after and would likely have added value for your coin – so be sure to keep a look out for these!


If you’re interested in 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

A history of the £10 note…

The withdrawal date for the current paper £10 note is in less than one week’s time on Thursday 1st March.

The paper ‘Series E’ note has been in circulation, in some form, for the past 26 years. So, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the history of the £10 note and our journey begins 259 years ago in 1759…

 

In a recent poll conducted on our Facebook page, 40% of you said that you still have paper £10 notes. Although you can still exchange them at the Bank of England after the cut-off date, I would suggest exchanging them before the withdrawal date.

Some retailers, banks and building societies may still accept these notes; however this is at their discretion. To save yourself any potential hassle, once you’ve added one to your collection, go and spend or swap your notes at the bank.


The Change Checker Banknote Collecting Pack

The brand new Official Change Checker Banknote Collecting Pack is the perfect way for any change checker to start collecting banknotes or display an already growing collection.

To help get you started, this pack includes an original £1 banknote, issued more than 35 years ago, in mint uncirculated condition… absolutely FREE.

Don’t miss out on this brand new Banknote collecting pack, start your collection today >>