Posts Tagged ‘Christmas coins’
Whilst Shepherds watched their flock by night… FIVE Guernsey Christmas Carol 50ps have been issued!
It’s time to dust off your stockings and light the fire because Christmas is officially round the corner!
And, there’s nothing like a carol service to get you in the Christmas spirit. So, to celebrate this very festive tradition, FIVE brand new coins have been authorised for release by Guernsey Treasury!
The Christmas Carol 50p Coin Collection
Each coin features a specially commissioned design of some of the most renowned Christmas carols including; Away in a Manger, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Little Town of Bethlehem, While Shepherds watched their flocks, and We Three Kings.
These coins have been authorised for release by Guernsey Treasury and fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen.
The Christmas Carol 50p BU Set
Available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, all five coins are housed in a festive presentation pack and importantly, this is one of the only ways to own all five of these coins as a complete set!
Don’t miss out on adding these festive coins to your collection, or securing them as a gift for your loved ones, for JUST £30. Click here to find out more >>
The Christmas Carol 50p Silver Proof Set
Or, for those collectors looking for a little more Christmas sparkle, these coins are also available in stunning .925 Solid Silver.
What’s more, they feature stunning coloured illustrations by Jo Goodberry (you may remember she designed the immensely popular Pantomime 50ps last year) and have been struck to a pristine Proof finish.
These 50ps are only available as a set and if you don’t want to miss the chance to own them, you’ll need to act fast, as they have been issued with some incredibly low edition limits…
An extremely limited worldwide mintage of JUST 2,020 has been set for the incredible .925 Silver set.
The coins will arrive ready to display in a deluxe presentation case with a numbered certificate of authenticity.
Hark the Herald 50p Christmas Card
Struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality, the ‘Hark the Herald’ 50p from the Brand New Christmas Carol 50p collection has been presented in a beautiful Christmas card which has been left blank inside to write your own personalised message to someone special.
This specially commissioned design by Jo Goodberry features a silhouette of an angel with the title of the carol ‘Hark the Herold’ to the right of the coin. What’s more, the ‘Hark the Herold’ Christmas 50p is the only coin from the collection to be available individually within this stunning Christmas card.
The 50p has firmly established itself as the collector’s favourite, and as such demand for this BRAND NEW Christmas 50p is bound to be incredibly high, especially when you consider the popularity of last year’s Christmas Pantomime 50ps.
You can secure the Hark the Herald 50p Christmas card today for JUST £7.99 (+p&p) by clicking here >>
The Christmas Carol 50p BU Complete Cover
For the creme-de-la-creme, and by far the most limited way to own these coins, the Christmas Carol 50p BU Complete Cover has been issued.
Each coin has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated finish, and is one of just 750 that have been allocated for use in your cover. Almost certainly, this is the smallest edition presentation of the new BU 50p coins that you’re likely to see.
Paired alongside your coins is the complete set of elusive 1984 Official Royal Mail Christmas Carol Stamps. Featuring classic carols such as While Shepherds Watch and We Three Kings, these stamps are without a doubt the perfect pairing to your coins.
Each stamp has also been officially postmarked on the first day of Advent, 1st December 2020”.
Click here to secure one to your collection or to guarantee it as a gift for a loved one this Christmas >>
Sought-after Guernsey coins
Last year, Guernsey Treasury released their FIRST-EVER Christmas coins, the Pantomime 50p collection and these were incredibly popular with collectors both in Guernsey and the UK!
Guernsey mintage figures are known for being much smaller than the UK, which is down to their much smaller population of just over 63,000, which makes their coinage incredibly sought-after!
But it’s fair to say that Christmas themed coins make a particularly envious addition to anyone’s collection, with the numerous festive 50ps from the Isle of Man proving to be incredibly popular.
Collectors have been known to pay over £20 for a festive 50p from the British Isles and Channel Islands, so we expect these brand new Christmas Carol 50ps to be incredibly sought-after!
We love these brand new coins and we’re sure collectors everywhere will too!
Which 2020 Christmas Carol 50p is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the 2020 Christmas Carol 50p BU Set for JUST £30!
Bring the magic of Christmas home this year, with the brand new Christmas Carol 50p BU Set.
Secure yours for £30 (+p&p) by clicking here >>
Our Top 10 Coins from the Isle of Man
Are you a collector of Isle of Man coinage?
The island has released some truly beautiful coins in recent years, and as their mintage figures are typically much lower than UK coins, they are often highly sought-after by collectors…
The recent release of a second Christmas themed £2 coin has got everyone at Change Checker HQ talking, and so in this blog I’ve decided to take a look at some of our favourite Isle of Man coins!
1) 2019 Santa £2
The Isle of Man is renowned for their Christmas themed coins.
Traditionally the island release Christmas themed 50ps most years, however last year an incredibly popular Christmas £2 coin was released for the very first time, and this has now been followed by a second £2 this Christmas.
This year’s 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.
2) 2019 Peter Pan Set
This year, collectors were swept off their feet by this set of 6 commemorative Peter Pan 50p coins.
These are the very first coins to feature ‘the boy who never grew up’ and the set has been issued to commemorative the 90th anniversary of Peter Pan author, JM Barrie, gifting the rights to the story to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The first coin in the series features an engraving of Peter Pan from David Wyatt’s illustration from the Oxford University Press edition and includes the iconic quote from the book, ‘Second to the right and straight on till morning’.
25,000 of each design entered circulation, but only on the Isle of Man so you’d be incredibly lucky if you managed to come across one in your UK change!
3) 2017 Triskelion £5 Coin
This £5 coin from 2017 features the Triskelion (three armoured legs) which is arguably the most recognised symbol of the island (featured on both the coat of arms and the flag).
The Isle of Man is the only country that circulates £5 coins, which means you could actually spend this coin in shops on the island!
But if you were lucky enough to have one I doubt you’d want to spend it, as it’s so unusual to have a circulation £5 coin in your change!
The coin is reasonably light when compared to our UK £5 coins. In fact, its size is 6mm smaller than the traditional UK commemorative £5 coins – so light enough to carry in your pocket!
4) 2003 Christmas 50p: The Snowman
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.
5) 1997 TT Races 50p
This highly sought-after 50p commemorates the 1997 TT races on the island – 90 years since the very first race in 1907.
The Isle of Man has become synonymous with the legendary TT races and each year since 1981 coins have been issued on the island to celebrate the occasion.
The 1997 coin celebrates eleven-time TT race winner Philip McCallen and is one of the most popular TT 50ps released by the Isle of Man.
Whilst there are many Isle of Man TT 50p coins in circulation, this isn’t the only denomination issued for the event…
6) 2018 TT £2 pair
£2 coins such as these have also been issued to celebrate the Isle of Man TT races.
These particular coins from 2018 mark 60 years since fan favourite ‘Mike the Bike’ first raced the International Isle of Man TT and 40 years since he returned to the event. They were officially licensed by the Isle of Man TT & Mike Haliwood foundation.
Mike Haliwood secured 14 Isle of Man victories during his racing career and his triumphant return to the TT has been described as ‘one of the most emotional moments of 20th century sport’.
Only 3,000 of each coin entered circulation on the Isle of Man, making them very hard to come by and practically impossible to find in your UK change.
7) 2011 Tosha Cat £2
In 2018, this coin caused a stir on Facebook coin groups and was even voted ‘Coin of the Year’ by the coin collecting community.
The £2 was actually issued in 2011 to commemorate the fourth Commonwealth Youth Games, held on the Isle of Man for the very first time.
However the coin seemed to be overlooked for the next 7 years until it piqued the interest of collectors on Facebook and prices on the secondary market started to skyrocket!
Sold prices for the coin vary and buyers must beware of fakes, however in some cases you’d be looking at parting with over £100 to get hold of one.
8) 2017 Round £1
In 2017, when the UK welcomed the brand new 12-sided £1 coin, the Isle of Man confirmed they would be keeping the familiar round pound coin – making them the only British Isles country to do so.
However, their round pound was to feature a complete redesign. It now featured a Falcon and a Raven which are symbolically associated with the Island and feature on the Coat of Arms.
The new round pound features Jody Clark’s sixth effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II, which also features on coins from Crown dependencies and Commonwealth countries.
You might recognise the portrait from the £5 coin mentioned earlier as both look fairly unusual due to the inclusion of the Queen’s shoulders on the design.
9) 1978 Definitive £1
When it comes to pound coins, the Isle of Man were ahead of the game…
In fact, the world’s first base-metal circulating £1 was actually issued on the Isle of Man – five years ahead of the first £1 coin issued in mainland Britain.
It features the Three Legs of Man against a map of the island on the reverse and was issued as part of the Isle of Man £1 coin series.
These old style £1 coins were withdrawn from circulation in 1983, but would certainly make for an interesting addition to any collection.
10) 1990 ‘Penny Black’ Crown
In 1990, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first postage stamp – the ‘Penny Black Stamp’ – the Isle of Man released this striking Crown coin.
The coin features an image of the stamp which was designed by Henry Corbould in 1840, showing the profile of the young Queen Victoria.
Struck in ‘pearl black’ Copper-Nickel, this highly innovative coin was awarded with three Coin of the Year Awards – Best Crown, Most Innovative Coinage and overall Coin of the Year.
A reissued version of this coin was struck in 2015 to celebrate the 175th anniversary.
Do you collect British Isles coinage and are you luck enough to have any of these beautiful Isle of Man coins in your change? Let us know in the comments below!
Celebrate the festive season with the BRAND NEW 2019 Isle of Man Christmas Santa £2 coin
The 2019 Isle of Man Christmas Santa £2 coin 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!
Click here to secure yours in Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (oh yes it is!)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as Guernsey release a brand new set of Christmas Pantomime 50p coins!
These fantastic new coins feature designs based on five beloved Pantomimes which are sure to take you to a whole new world as you experience the magic of the theatre brought to life on a 50p coin.
Complete BU Set
Whilst 4,000 of each design will be entering circulation, they will only be released in Guernsey and you can bet your bottom dollar that any lucky Guernsey Change Checkers coming across these coins will be sure to hold on to them.
Unfortunately we don’t all have a Fairy Godmother who can wave a magic wand and make these coins appear in our UK change (but wouldn’t that be nice!).
However, the complete set is now available to purchase in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.
Authorised by the Guernsey Treasury and fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen, the set includes some of the most loved pantomime themes:
- Aladdin
- Cinderella
- Snow White
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- Dick Whittington
Silver Proof Set
But that’s not all… As if by magic, these coins have been brought to life in vibrant colour for the Silver Proof Pantomime 50p coin set.
Each beautiful coin is struck from Solid Silver and features selective colour printing to capture the fun of the theatre.
Only 2,019 of the Guernsey Silver Christmas Pantomime 50p sets are available and we all know how quickly Silver 50p coins sell out – the Silver Gruffalo 50p sold out within the first day of launch and had an edition limit of 25,000!
This stunning set is now available to purchase here.
The first Guernsey Christmas coins
Did you know that Guernsey has never released a Christmas coin before? This is bound to make these Christmas Panto 50ps particularly special for coin collectors.
However it’s fair to say that Christmas themed coins make an envious addition to anyone’s collection, with the numerous festive 50ps from the Isle of Man proving to be incredibly popular.
One of the most-loved Christmas themes to feature on a coin has got to be the Snowman.
In 2003, the first coin to feature the Snowman was issued by the Isle of Man and had a tiny mintage of just 10,000.
Although not many of these coins are available on the secondary market, if you did want to add one to your collection, you’d be looking at parting with a minimum of £200!
The Snowman has since featured on a number of Isle of Man Christmas coins, and even made his first appearance on a UK coin last year.
Just 20,000 issued for circulation
With such a wonderful Christmas theme and the fact that just 4,000 of each Panto 50p will initially be released into circulation in Guernsey, these coins are sure to follow in the Snowman’s footprints and be incredibly sought-after.
But it’s not just the theme which makes these coins so special…
Mintage figures for Isle of Man 50ps have never exceeded 30,000, and as the new Guernsey coins have a combined mintage of just 20,000 I’m sure you’ll agree that they are bound to be hugely collectable!
Guernsey mintage figures are known for being much smaller than the UK, which is down to their much smaller population of just over 63,000.
Vote for your favourite!
Pantomime has a long theatrical history and is especially popular during the festive period. So now it’s time to get the show started and celebrate with the fantastic new Christmas Pantomime 50p set from Guernsey.
We’d love to hear which of these coins is your favourite, so let us know by voting in the poll below!
Secure your Brilliant Uncirculated Christmas Pantomime Set
Celebrate the Christmas season with five brand new Brilliant Uncirculated Pantomime 50ps from Guernsey.