Posts Tagged ‘Coins’
50 Years of Mr. Men and Little Miss™ celebrated with brand new £5 coin series!
For 50 years, the Mr. Men and Little Misses have been delighting children and adults alike for generations with their charming, cheeky and, clever antics.
But now, in 2021 we see them delighting the coin collecting world as well, as The Royal Mint has revealed a new £5 coin series celebrating the inhabitants of Dillydale.
2021 UK Little Miss Sunshine £5
The final coin in this wonderful series has JUST been issued and it features a design of one of the happiest and kindest characters in all of Dillydale, Little Miss Sunshine.
Adam Hargreaves’ design of the Little Miss Sunshine £5 features the cheerful character in the forefront, with the charming meadows of the dale behind.
This coin is available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) in official Change Checker packaging when you click here >>
What’s more, you can also secure the other coins in the Mr. Men™ and Little Miss™ collection below:
- To secure the 2021 UK Mr Happy £5 for your collection, simply click here >>
- To secure the 2021 UK Mr Strong and Little Miss Giggles £5 for your collection, simply click here >>
2021 UK Mr. Strong and Little Miss Giggles £5
The second coin in this wonderful series features the strongest person in all the land and the Little Miss who can’t stop giggling!
Adam Hargreaves’ design of the Mr Strong and Little Miss Giggles™ £5 features these famous characters set against the meadows of Dillydale.
Excitingly, this is only coin in the Mr. Men and Little Miss series to feature more than one character on its design!
This coin is available to order in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) when you click here >>
2021 UK Mr. Happy™ £5
The very first coin in this series features none other than Mr. Happy himself!
Adam Hargreaves’ design of this £5 coin features the instantly recognisable and much-loved Mr Happy at the centre.
Excitingly for collectors, this is the first time Mr. Happy has featured on a UK coin and we think he’s made a very grand entrance!
This coin is available to order in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p). Simply click here >>
50 Years of Fun
Charles Roger Hargreaves was an english author and illustrator, best known for his creation of the world-famous Mr. Men and Little Miss stories.
The Mr. Men and Little Miss books first originated with Mr Tickle. Hargreaves son asked him what a tickle looked like, so he drew a round orange man with long arms that could reach anywhere!
Mr Tickle was such a success with his son and the general public, that Hargreaves went on to create a whole world of Mr Men and Little Miss characters.
As of 2015, there have been 30 books, with over 85 Mr. Men and Little Miss characters featuring and now, they feature on a UK coin series for the very first time.
Following the popularity of previous children’s literature themed coins, we’re expecting these coins to be a huge hit with collectors!
Let’s take a closer look at previous UK coins that have celebrated children’s literature…
Beatrix Potter 50p Series
In 2016 a new series of 50p coins were confirmed celebrating renowned children’s author Beatrix Potter.
From Peter Rabbit, to the Tailor of Gloucester we’ve seen some of Potter’s most-loved characters feature on our 50p coin. These coins truly did spark a whole new interest in collecting, that spanned across generations.
In fact, these coins were so popular that we saw the main man himself, Peter Rabbit, feature in the series FIVE times – a testament to the nation’s love of this cheeky little bunny.
Whilst some of these coins are no longer available from The Royal Mint, you can still get your hands on some of them from Change Checker. Simply click here to find out more >>
Paddington 50p Coins
In 2018, a brand new series of 50p coins were issued to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington’s first appearance in Michael Bond’s story, ‘A Bear Called Paddington’.
The first two coins in the series featured Paddington at the Station and Paddington at the Palace. Later, in 2019, Paddington returned this time at the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
These coins have proved so popular with collectors since their initial release and have been the talking point of recent years. Change Checker has a range of collecting packs and products for you to store your coins in when you find them in your change! Find out more here >>
The Gruffalo 50p Coins
In 2019, two Gruffalo 50p coins were issued to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Julia Donalson’s much-loved children’s tale.
The first coin to be released, featuring an image of the Gruffalo, with his famous horns and teeth at the centre, was so popular that the silver-proof version sold out in less than 12 hours!
Later in the year, The Gruffalo returned, this time with his adorable companion from the tale, Mouse.
If you want to find out more about these incredible 50p coins, you can do so by clicking here >>
We love these brand new Mr. Men and Little Miss £5 coins! Will you be securing them for your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Own the Complete 2021 UK Mr. Men™ and Little Miss™ £5 Collection today!
Each coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated finish and protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging to preserve them for generations to come.
To order your complete 2021 UK Mr. Men™ and Little Miss™ £5 Collection, for just £32.50 (+p&p), click here >>
Why did The Royal Mint revert to the Queen’s decimal first effigy?
2021 marks 50 years since our UK coins turned decimal, in the biggest numismatic change seen in centuries.
In celebration of this significant anniversary, The Royal Mint issued not one, but TWO Decimal Day 50ps in 2021. The reverse designs are the same, but that certainly can’t be said for their obverses…
The first version of the Decimal Day 50p, available exclusively in the 2021 Annual Coin Set, features the original Arnold Machin portrait of Her Majesty The Queen on the obverse – the same obverse used for the UK’s very first decimal coins.
However, the individual coin which was released later in January, featured Jody Clark’s fifth portrait of The Queen instead.
So why did The Royal Mint revert back to the Queen’s first decimal effigy for this new issue? Join Change Checker as we take a closer look…
Spot the Difference
The 50p available in the Annual Set which features the original Machin portrait on the obverse, quickly caught the eyes of collectors as this was the first time we have seen The Royal Mint revert a previous portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II on a base metal UK coin.
Marking 50 years since our UK coins went decimal, it seemed only fitting that this coin should include Machin’s obverse design.
But, when the Decimal Day 50p was individually released later in January, collectors had the opportunity to get their hands on a second version of this coin, as Jody Clark’s portrait of The Queen featured on the obverse.
So with two versions of the 2021 UK Decimal Day 50p out there, this coin is set to become a real talking point among collectors!
Arnold Machin Portrait
The significance of this anniversary and the fact that the Machin portrait of HM QEII was the first to be used on the UK’s 50p, makes for the perfect excuse to revert back to this previous effigy on the exclusive Decimal Day 50p within the Annual Set.
The UK’s very first decimal coins (5p, 10p, followed by 50p) actually entered circulation before 1971 and as they were circulating together with pre-decimal currency, a new portrait of The Queen was commissioned to help the new coins stand out.
Arnold Machin’s new portrait showed The Queen wearing a tiara given to The Queen by her grandmother, Queen Mary.
We love the fact that collectors have the chance to see this previous portrait reused on this brand new 50p and it certainly makes for interesting collecting!
Have you secure both versions of the 2021 Decimal Day for your collections? Let us know in the comments below!
But that’s not all, as this is not the first time we’ve seen different obverses used on the same coin…
2015 Battle of Britain 50p
In 2015, The Battle of Britain 50p shot to fame as collectors were quick to spot that there were THREE different versions of the coin, with different obverses on each of them.
The Brilliant Uncirculated 50p was issued early in 2015 and was quickly dubbed an ‘error’ coin. The coins, which were sold in presentation packs, had been struck without the denomination in either numbers or writing anywhere on the coin. Chancers were quick to play to this, with some managing to sell on the coins for near to £100 each on the secondary market.
After the controversy surrounding the coin erupted, the Royal Mint confirmed that the 50p intended for circulation later on in the year would have the ’50 PENCE’ denomination. But was this after they had realised their mistake?
So how did this coin end up with three different obverses?
Each version of this coin has caused a stir in the collecting world. Not only does this Battle of Britain 50p fail to feature a denomination on the Brilliant Uncirculated version, but the obverse is different for each finish used for the coin – a first for a UK commemorative coin.
In 2019, a brand new re-issued Brilliant Uncirculated version of the Battle of Britain 50p (from the 2019 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Set) saw Jody Clark’s portrait and the 50 PENCE denomination – making this the FOURTH version of this 50p!
Do you have any of the Battle of Britain 50p coins? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the 2021 Annual Set with the Decimal Day 50p that features the original Arnold Machin obverse!
Own ALL FIVE brand new 2021 coins in superior collector quality for JUST £40.00 (+p&p).
Each coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging, within in a Change Checker Display Page – perfect to slot into your Change Checker Album.
Order today to own the 2021 Commemorative coin Set in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality by clicking here >>
Queen Victoria – Around the World on Coins…
Cast your imagination back to the 19th century… Queen Victoria ruled 400 million people in an empire that covered almost a quarter of the world’s surface!
With a name and title famous across the globe, it may come as a surprise to you that Queen Victoria never actually stepped foot in many of the countries she ruled over.
India was held with such high regard in Victoria’s heart that it became known as the Jewel in the Empire’s crown. In 1876, India awarded her the title of ‘Empress of India’ in a gesture of appreciation.
Although having never stepped foot in the country and living 4,500 miles away, Victoria’s portrait was minted on to the currency of India (the rupee) from 1840, so people could recognise their empress!
The rupee is one of the oldest currencies in the world, so to feature a British monarch for the first time was an important moment in numismatic history.
The later portrait issued on rupees, similar to the Gothic Head effigy, can be considered one of the most beautiful coins of the empire.
A 22hr flight to Australia seems a long journey now but for Queen Victoria, a trip to this corner of the world would have taken her almost two months to get there!
So, there’s no surprises this was also a country that she never visited. However, the need for a British presence in the country was growing with the empire; as the empire grew, so did the need for coins. The Royal Mint opened branches in Australia and in 1855, a sovereign was minted outside of the UK for the first time – the Sydney sovereign.
It featured a portrait of Victoria that was based on the Young Head effigy, but with a sprig of banksia weaved through Victoria’s hair, giving the portrait a distinct Australian feel.
The Sydney sovereign became incredibly successful and a number of Royal Mint branches were opened throughout Australia as a result. To identify the Mint that sovereigns were produced in, mintmarks were added to the coins, with a small ‘P’ for Perth, and an ‘M’ for Melbourne.
The sovereign became legal tender in the majority of British colonies in the 1860s, and its importance in British trade, and worldwide circulation earned it the title “the King of Coins”. By the final years of the British Empire, the sovereign was minted in four continents across the globe.
India and Australia weren’t the only countries that saw Victoria’s portrait. Her image also reached as far as Hong Kong, Ceylon, East Africa and New Zealand. In 1870 the first Canadian dollar with Victoria’s portrait was issued, taking Victoria’s image to a new side of the world for people to see.
Despite never leaving Europe, Queen Victoria’s portrait and image stood strong on coins around the world. Whilst she never stepped foot in many of the countries that she ruled over, that didn’t stop people recognising her image around the world.
The coins that they used every day provided a link to the empire that they were a part of, despite the miles between them.
If you’ve found this blog informative and have enjoyed reading, let us know in the comments below!
Secure the 2019 UK 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Victoria £5 for your collection!
Your £5 coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and is protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging to ensure that it is preserved for generations.
To secure yours for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) click here >>